From Hell To Heaven
by inspirationimagination
Summary: Olivia tries to move on from Sealview, but faces difficulties. Comforted by the one person who truely knows her, things take a sinister turn when women start turning up dead. Who is responsible & can they be stopped in time? Not the obvious suspect x
1. Chapter 1 The Night Before

From Hell To Heaven

Chapter 1-The Night Before

Olivia slipped her heels off and smiled towards the bathroom door that led off her bedroom, thinking of the man within it. He was a cop. Good looking, smart, funny, caring and a gentleman. The perfect guy to be her first after...what happened. Her smile faltered. She pushed her thoughts of that place and _him_ to the back of her mind. Like usual.

She unclipped the holster from her upper thigh that held her smaller off-duty handgun. She placed it on her bedside table. She heard the toilet flush and looked up expectantly. He strode out of the bathroom, briefly leaning back to flick off the light and quietly closed the door.

"You know," he said with a smile. "You still haven't told me what unit you're in."

"My job always complicates things. And you haven't told me much about yourself. Well, besides, 'everyone calls me Max.'" she joked.

He sat down next to her on her bed, his eyes linked with hers. "That's because they do." he countered, leaning against her, causing her to lie back on her bed. She only smiled in responce as he kissed at her chest, her collarbone and her neck, trailing his lips up to the soft skin under her ear. She placed a hand in his dark brown locks and wrapped her other arm around his shoulders, holding him close.

"Well, in my experience," she muttered out, gasping as his hands slid up her sides, coming to rest at her hips, flush with his. His fingers teased around the strap of her dress, guiding it down and kissing at the skin it exposed. "When men dodge a question, it usually means they're hiding something." she almost joked with a slight smile.

She heard him chuckle, feeling his warm breath on her skin and the gentle shudder of his chest against hers. "Ok, if it bother's you so much." he joked, kissing her once more. "My name's Maxson, Harris Maxson." Olivia froze. _Harris_. He continued to kiss her, oblivious to her sudden hesitation.

As he moved to her other shoulder, teasing at her other strap, she didn't move. He seemed unaware of the ghosts flashing behind her eyes. _Concrete floor. Handcuffs. The leering eyes ofLowell Harris._

Suddenly, Max's warm, sensitive, delicate kisses and caresses were cold, invasive and threatening. She pulled her hands from his hair and neck, bringing them to rest on his shoulders, preparing to push him away.

"Max," tumbled from her lips, but not in the passionate sense as he took it to mean. She felt his fingers on her strap, causing her to start pushing him back. "Max, stop." she started, pressing her hands against his shoulders.

"Why?" he asked, still kissing at her neck. Usually it would make her heart skip a beat, but now it resulted in her heart pounding harder, making her skin crawl.

"Because I said to." she replied sternly, pressing her hands harder against his unyielding chest.

"Oh come one, you like it, I know you do." he said, his tone obviously trying to be seductive.

"No," she began, exerting her strength against his chest. But he ignored her, as if suddenly expecting her to change her mind. "Max, stop it. Get off me!" she said, not allowing herself to plead. Not again.

He merely tried to refrain her hands. not understanding her sudden change of heart. "Olivia, please," he began.

In an instand Olivia dropped her hands from his chest and grabbed her gun from the bedside table. He froze as he felt the gun against his head. He instantly stopped moving, bringing his eyes to hers, fully aware of the cold metal against his temple.

"I said no." she simply said, her tone stern and uncompromising, as she forbade tears from forming, despite the lump stuck in her throat.

"Woah," he said, leaning back to sit up, slowly raising his hands in surrender. "I wasn't going to hurt you. I would never..."

"You need to leave." she interrupted, not needing to hear his meaningless promises of innocence.

"Ok," he said, leaning away as he brushed the side of his head away from her gun. "Liv, can I just say, I wouldn't..."

"Now." she threatened, removing the safety, that was still dangerously close to his face.

Her anger briefly flared at the mention of her nickname. She never allowed anyone to use that name, particularly in intimate situations. And she definitely didn't need to think of Elliot right now, not in a situation that made her feel so foolish, powerless and vulnerable. She never wanted him to see her that way. That's why she never told him about what happened to her at Sealview. What plagued her thoughts. What plagued her dreams. And the man she saw looming in every shadow, of every corner. Eternally stalking her.

"Ok, ok," he quickly said, blinking a few times in panic amd raising his hands higher in surrender as he tried not to upset her further. He got up from her bed, daring to turn his back to her and crossed her room in three strides. The door swung almost closed as he left. Olivia quickly pulled her dress strap back in to place and cautiously approached the door. After a long moment she heard the front door of her apartment slam shut. The safety clicked back in to place on her gun, then it fell from her loosening grip, landing on the floor with a heavy thud. She fell back against the wall beside her door and slid down it. She landed in a crumpled heap on the floor, as tears cascaded down her cheeks and she realised that she had not yet escaped her personal hell. The bars around her heart were still firmly in place and showed no sign of crumbling. She had no escape.


	2. Chapter 2 Today of All Days

**A/N Ok, so I'm happy with the response I got from the first chapter, but it's kind of offputting that a lot of people read it, yet I got so few reviews. I know it sounds like I'm nagging, lol, but I was nervous about posting this story. I've written plenty of fanfiction before but this is the first of I've allowed people to read. Anyway, I'll shut up now, hope you enjoy it x**

From Hell To Heaven

Chapter 2-Today Of All Days

The next day, Olivia still didn't feel any better. And worst of all, she would have to be on constant guard to hide these feelings from Elliot, or risk having to tell him everything. And it would ultimately lead to him asking about Sealview. She wasn't ready for him to know. Nowhere near. So as she entered the squad room, she was glad, for once, that he was not there. _'He must have overslept'_ she thought with a smile, imagining him hurrying around his apartment trying to get dressed.

"Hey baby girl," Fin's voice was soothing. He had been her saviour. He placed a cup of coffee on her desk as she draped her coat over the back of her chair.

"What's the occasion?" she joked.

"I had a feeling you might need it." he replied with a half shrug.

"Yeah? What makes you say that?" she asked, wondering if he had seen straight through her mask.

"There's someone waiting to see you. It seemed serious so I told him to wait in Interrogation Room 1."

"Interrogation?" she asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Yeah. It was either that or your desk."

She nodded as he turned back to a stack of files on his desk. She turned and headed to Interrogation, wondering what was ahead of her. Today of all days.

**A/N I know this chapter is really short, it's more of a filler, so if I get enough reviews I'll post the next chapter, which has a lot more content, either in 2 days or 3, depending. Thanks for reading x**


	3. Chapter 3 In The Box

**A/N I want to thank everyone who has added me to their author favourites/alerts and story favourites/alerts. I really appreciate it. Any chance you could drop me a review? It would really help if I had an idea of what people think. All responces welcome: Is there something you think I should change? Add? Something you hope to see or really don't want to see? I really enjoyed writing this chapter, despite Olivia's misgivings, Max is one of my favourite characters to write for, particularly because I picture him as a certain dark haired detective from a particular other show lol It would be interesting to see how others perceive Max, like him or not? I decided to update this chapter sooner than I said, seeing as the previous chapter was so short and only filler. Anyway, hope you like it x**

From Hell To Heaven

Chapter 3-In The Box

Olivia stepped in to Interrogation and saw the last person she wanted to see, causing her to sigh. "What are you doing here?" she asked, closing the door and looking at him in disbelief.

"I saw your badge last night while I was in your living room." Max said, moving to lean against the edge of the table.

"That's not answering my question." Olivia stated. He sighed in response.

"I didn't want to leave it how it ended last night. I couldn't understand why...but then I saw what unit you were in and it started to make sense."

"What the Hell's that supposed to mean?" She always got touchy when people called her job in to question.

"Well you see perps everyday, I guess you have right to be paranoid, or at least on guard. I just don't feel comfortable with you thinking of me like that, as the kind of men you question everyday. That is not me, Olivia. I just need you to know that I would never hurt you. I would never make you do anything you didn't..."

"This isn't about you." she interrupted.

"How can you say that?" he asked, incredulously, stepping away from the table. "One minute it's good, the next, you put a gun to my head. I don't know about you, but that's not my idea of foreplay!" he almost yelled.

"Ok, first of all, don't dare raise your voice to me. And second, this was not about sex." she said. Being alone in Interrogation, sealed off from everyone else and having him yell at her, given their position last night, made her feel cornered. And she could see the same flash in his eyes as she did when she was cowering in that basement. She managed to hold back the shudder that crept up her spine.

"Don't spout that crap at me, Olivia. Did you forget I'm a cop?" he asked rhetorically. "I pulled your file."

"You what?" Olivia yelled incredulously, her eyes flashing with anger.

"Since everything went down like a lead balloon when you knew my name, I thought maybe we'd met before somehow. I was intending to see if we'd crossed paths at the Academy, but them I saw a section noted '_Sealview_'."

"You bastard. You had no right!" she yelled, holding back tears. She had not even told Elliot; her partner, her best friend, the man she...And yet Max knew. He had brutally invaded her privacy, destroying her trust and read all the disgusting details of her personal statements of what happened.

"I read the statement you gave. And then it all made sense; your reaction last night to my name and everything." His tone was as soft as his eyes. But they felt like razor blades in her heart.

"I want you to leave." she said, barely audible and seemingly hollow.

"Why? You actually going to shoot me this time?" he asked doubtfully, but not too sure in his mocking.

She stepped forward aggressively. "I would have shot you last night if I had to, without a second's hesitation." she said, angrily wiping away the moisture from her eyes and cheeks. "But then again, shooting someone in your apartment can cause tension between neighbours." she said humourlessly.

"Very funny, Olivia. I see you've still got your sidearm." he joked, but a contradicting frown appeared.

"Never take it off, don't go anywhere without it." she said, aware of his eyes on her larger, 9mm, NYPD issue weapon.

"Even in bed." he stated, looking almost regretful.

"There anything else? 'Cause I have work to do and right now, you're wasting my time. Or if you prefer, I could have my Captain have you escorted from the building." she subtly threatened.

"Not neccesary, Olivia. I'm going now anyway." he said, heading past her to the door. "Oh, another thing, Interrogation isn't the best place for a private conversation."

"What?" she asked, turning to face him, but he ignored her and left. Olivia realised what he meant as she turned towards the mirror and felt her heart sink.


	4. Chapter 4 Damaged Trust

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N Ok, so I had a less than friendly review, (well that's how I perceived it anyway :/) that kind of knocked my confidence a bit. On the other hand, there are people who are reviewing and who are reading, so they're a real confidence boost, making a real difference to how I write. EOtogetherforever you in particular always help brighten my day and spur me on so thank you. I've decided to not let reviews be an issue. I've always seen writing as my way of putting pen to paper and developing my own ideas, so I'm focusing on writing more chapters rather than panicking over whether people have read it or not. (which stats confirms they have, yet still I worry lol)**

**Ok, firstly, this was in two chapters but edited them together, seeing as they are both quite short. I liked this chapter as we see a bit of the frustration EO sometimes have with each other, particular when Olivia's in trouble or Elliot's jealous, which one applies here I'll let you decide lol. **

Chapter 4-Damaged Trust

Olivia sighed at the mirror for less than a second, before storming from the Interrogation Room. She didn't wait for him, didn't want a torrade of questions she didn't want to answer.

"Liv," She felt his gentle grasp on her arm as she heard his equally gentle voice, trying to stop her fleeing back to the squadroom.

"What, Elliot?" she demanded.

"Just give me a minute, I want to talk to you." She allowed him to guide her in to the Observation Room. She spoke as he quietly closed the door behind him.

"Well, you don't need to talk to me when you can just spy on me." she accused, pulling her arm from his grip.

"I wasn't spying," he defended. "Fin said something was going down between you and some serious cop schmuck. I just wanted to watch your back."

"Behind my back, more like." she muttered.

"Oh come on, Liv, you know I'm just looking out for you."

There was a long silence. Olivia didn't want to leave the safety and security Elliot's presence provided. But at the same time, she knew he'd ask about...

"So what happened last night?" he cautiously asked.

"That is none of your business!" she replied defensively, trying to dodge the question.

"Well, I could always go after that guy, flash my badge and make it official." he hollowly threatened, knowing he would never do anything of the sort, for her sake.

"Sometimes you can be a real bastard, you know that?" she stated rhetorically.

"Yeah, because Kathy didn't tell me that everyday." he quipped sarcastically.

Olivia made to leave but as she tried to get round him, he blocked her path.

"Liv, wait, ok, I'm just worried about you."

"I'm fi..." she began.

"You're not fine!" he interrupted, stepping closer. "From what I heard, at some point last night, you drew your gun on him. That's not you, Liv. Usually you wouldn't let a creep like that in to your apartment, let alone your bed." He regretted it the second he said it.

"You just crossed the line."She barged past him, as he regrettably let her go, knowing how harsh his words sounded.

She held back the tears, as she left him stood there cursing to himself; he had seen straight through her mask. She composed herself in time as Fin called across the squadroom.

"Hey, what'd you do to that guy? The cop." Fin called.

"Why?" she asked, sitting at her desk and sipping the coffee, that, thankfully, was still hot.

"He blew out of here faster than the wind. What'd you do, stick your gun in his face?" he joked.

"Something like that, huh, Liv?" Elliot joked, striding towards his desk, a subtle hint to Olivia that their conversation was not over.

He knew it would take more than joked to undo the damage he had just done with a passing comment. From Olivia's expression he could tell it was going to be a long day.

xXx

By the end of the day, Olivia's mood had not improved, and Elliot decided to keep his distance. It was a painful distance, a distance that made his heart sting everytime he saw her smile falter, or hear her sigh, or even rub her eyes from being tired. He wanted to hold her, tell her everything would be ok, and more importantly, that the worst was behind her. Even if she refused to tell him what the 'worst' had actually been. All he knew was that the worst was not as little as she had told him. _'What happened in that basement?' 'Nothing.'_

He wondered if she would ever tell him. He knew it wasn't a matter of trust; she trusted him with her life, she had on several occasions. It was if she could bare for him to see a side of her she had never shown. Vulverable, out of control, desperate. Only Fin and Olivia knew the truth; Elliot hadn't pulled her file. He could have, but he didn't. He respected her far too much and didn't want to betray her privacy so cruelly.

He knew she would tell him, when she was ready. And he would be there for her. Like he's here for her now. He saw her click off her lamp and get up, pulling on her coat.

"Hey, you off home? Want a lift?" he politely asked.

"No, thanks." she replied, not looking at him.

"Hey, Liv, about earlier..."

"No, Elliot, I'm tired, I cannot deal with this, not now, not tonight." He heard the tears in her voice.

"Liv," he began softly, starting to get up.

"Goodnight, Elliot."

She met his gaze for a bare second, revealing the pools glistening in her eyes. But then she turned and left. She was gone.

**A/N The next chapter is when we start getting in to the mainplot, an incident in Central Park, of all places, is the pivotal point in the story that kickstarts a sequence of events leading to a revelation for Olivia. One of my favourite chapters is coming up, and I'm resisting the urge to post and post lol x Review if you can. x**


	5. Chapter 5 Central Park Danger &

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N I want to say thanks to all the people who have reviewed and added alerts/favourites/subscriptions. This chapter was initially going to be in two parts but since the first half is so short it would be pointless to post it by itself. Also, I think the quick transition from Part 1 to Part 2 represents how Olivia perceived the passage of time, and why she's so confused. **

Chapter 5-Central Park Danger & Seeing Her Angel

Olivia pulled her jacket tighter around herself, hurrying through the darkness that was Central Park. Each footstep was almost silent, as silent as each misty breath that escaped her frosty lips. Her hair gently blew around her face as she strode home under the darkened sky, glowing moon and twinkling stars. Through the only sounds of shuffling leaves, a few birds calling in the distance and the pounding of her heart, her thoughts soon turned to the darker corner of her mind. Of the things she tried to keep locked away. She thought of the cold, unyielding concrete, the damp air, dirty mattress and...his eyes flashed before her eyes!

She abruptly stopped and spun around in a blind panic as though something was behind her. She could feel him watching her. Feel his hands on her skin. On her skin as he tried to pull her closer...She spun around again, turning back to the way she had been walking. He was everywhere, she had convinced herself. He was behind her, waiting to pounce when the time was right. Her eyes scanned around as she suddenly became aware of every sound, of every movement, every angle from which he could attack. A bird squawking above her, another bird launching from the branch, leaves falling from disturbed trees, rocks falling from unsteady ground, a twig snapping behind her! She spun, too late.

Everything went black.

xXx

She didn't dare move, wondering what horror awaited her. She thought her heart would explode if she was once again confronted with the filthy floor, damp walls, stale air, shadowed corners that reverberated his fury, echoing directly in to her frightful ears. She took a breath. The air was not stale, it was fresh, though slightly stuffy. And the floor was not filthy or unyielding, actually it was quite confortable. She moved her foot slightly, testing. Blankets? She was in a bed? After a moment to confirm it was not the filthy mattress, with springs poking out, she peeked, her lids fluttered open. Her gaze was blurry, unfocused. But there! She saw them! The crystal blue eyes of an angel, guiding her back. Her angel. Her Elliot.

"Liv," he said softly, relief in his eyes as he sat up in the chair beside her bed, that he had obviously slept in. He moved to the edge of his seat, his eyes intent on her.

She looked around as the light stung in her eyes, recognising the plain walls, sparse furniture and green design as a hospital room. A worried expression crossed her face as she looked down and saw the gown she was dressed in, Elliot spotted her distress instantly.

"Liv," he soothed, gently taking her hand in his own. "You're in hospital but you're ok; the doctors said you can go home soon."

She paused for a moment to take in what he had said.

"How long was I out?" she wondered aloud.

"We're not sure; you were unconscious when you were found, had been until now. We're not sure how long you had been there before we got to you." he said, a concerned crease appearing above his eyes.

"What happened?" she cautiously asked.

"You were attacked." he said after a hesitant pause. "In Central Park." When she merely frowned, he continued. "I kept calling you but it was ringing out. I assumed you were just mad a me still but after a while, I started to worry, so...I had a trace run on your cell phone. As soon as it said Central park I knew something was wrong. I called for backup and came looking for you." He paused for a moment, as though unsure if to continue, if she should hear what he had to say. "When you were found, you had been positioned. Your clothes were torn, your shirt was ripped open at the front and your hands had been placed behind your back."

She quickly turned her head away from him as it all sounded too familiar and moisture pooled in her eyes.

"We think someone must have jumped you from behind. You were hit in the head; no long term damage obviously."

She nodded in response but kept her face towards the window, on her right, away from Elliot. She knew it was coming, confirmation that it had happened again.

"When you were unconscious...they had to do a rape kit." he said softly, still holding her hand as tightly as she held his. Tears poured and sobs built in her chest, causing her to tremble as she held them in. She knew he could hear her tears, but she refused to let him see them. She began to shake her head, not wanting it to be true, not wanting to hear him tell her she had been destroyed by another monster. Not wanting to know Elliot finally knew she was as weak and vulnerable as _he_ had made her the first time.

"And?" she managed to say, her voice failing to hide the emotion she didn't want him to see. She felt his thumb rub the back of her hand, but it did little to soothe the pain exploding in her heart.

"It was negative, Liv. There was no evidence of sexual trauma...of any kind."

She sucked in a large shuddering breath as she clenched her hand in his. She let out a steady sigh as relief washed through her. He sat with her for a long moment, as he took her hand in both of his. She didn't look at him, not until the tears in her eyes ran dry. After another steady breath, she dared to ask who had witnessed her at her weakest, her most helpless.

"Who found me?"

She didn't take his hesitation as a good sign.

"I did." he admitted.

She spun her head to look at him, seeing the affection, support and concern in his sincere gaze. Although she was horrified by the prospect of Elliot seeing her in her underwear, abandoned on the floor, her heart warmed a little. At least it had been him, someone she trusted, rather than one of the backup uniforms who she'd possibly never even met before.

"And I covered you up, before anyone else came over." he said. She realised then what she had been missing the whole time. He was there for her. He would always be there when she needed him, to support her, to protect her, to care for her, to lo...She placed her hand over his that held her own. She gave a slight smile, which he returned.

"Hey, El, could you go get us some coffee from the cafeteria?" She felt the lump rise in her throat, hating how her voice broke slightly.

"Sure." he said, giving her hand one last squeeze of comfort. He stood and left as she rolled on to her other side, facing the window.

He heard her sobs through the door. And he felt them, like shards of glass, piercing his heart.

**A/N ^_^ I really love that last line, I can just imagine Elliot standing outside her door while she's crying. lol Anyway, review if you can, make me happy lol All reviews get a message back so if you have a question or query don't be shy xx Next chapter is slightly more Elliot centered, before a lovely scene I like, bringing EO back together :)**


	6. Chapter 6 Leaving Your Love & Her

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N This chapter is a bit long but is more about Elliot and how he's feeling, seeing as he rarely tells anyone himself I guess I'll do it for him lol Look out for Fin and Elliot being secretive, is there something they're holding back? ^_^ Second, there is a really nice scene I like coming up, not major EO but implied ;) I don't know if you noticed by I like to post at approx. 3 day intervals, and today I nearly forgot to post. Not because I lost interest but because I'm halfway through furiously typing up a chapter. *Sneekpeek* there's a little E/O arguement coming up, nothing major but it comes after another major incident for Liv. Enjoy ;) x**

Chapter 6- Leaving Your Love, Her Silhouette

Elliot sat in the cafeteria, he wasn't sure for how long, staring at the coffee cup in his hand. He hadn't bought two. He knew it was just as excuse so she she could be left alone. He decided he would give her as long as she needed; until she called for him or at least until he couldn't bare to be away from her any longer. And he could already feel the yearning in his chest.

"Hey," a voice said, snapping Elliot from his thoughts. "You drinking that?" Fin asked unabashed as he settled in to a seat opposite Elliot.

"Nah, go ahead." he replied, sliding it across the table as Fin thanked him.

"How's Olivia?" Fin asked, sipping the coffee, pulling a slight face as the strong taste.

"She's awake now." Elliot replied, skipping over the amount of relief that small change brought.

"Nah, wait a second, hold up. You damn near beat a CSU when they snapped her picture in the park, rode alongside in the ambulance, walked with her on the gurney, sat with her all night, and now she's awake...you're sitting down here?" he asked in doubtful confusion.

"She needed time alone."

Fin merely nodded, not pressing the obviously private matter. "Baby girl's not made of stone, no matter how tough she comes across."

Elliot could only nod as he silently betrayed her trust; wondering if he should ask Fin.

"What did the doctors say?" Fin said in ironic timing.

"She was hit in the back of the head with something, caused a slight concussion. They said her mind went in to shock and sort of...sealed off, that's why she was unconscious for so long; to protect itself. Which isn't surprising after what happened before. And I don't think she got much sleep the night before either." he said, subtly slipping Sealview in to the conversation.

"Yeah, I guess." Fin said cautiously, knowing Sealview was a dangerous subject when it involved Elliot. He didn't know and Olivia didn't want him to know. And even if she did, Fin would never betray her privacy by telling Elliot; it wasn't his place.

"Fin," Elliot began.

"No, Elliot." Fin interrupted. "She'll tell you when she's ready. It's her secret to share, not mine."

"I'm not asking what she put in her statements, I just want...need, to know what _you_ saw. When you got to her, what did you see?" Elliot felt dread in his chest but it was drowned out by the nagging feeling in his mind of the need to know.

"Elliot," Fin began in arguement.

"Fin, please, it's driving me crazy. I can see her hurting but I can't even begin to know where to start to help her. It's not knowing that's the worst; my mind keeps going over old cases we had, wondering what that bastard did to her. Do you know what it's like, lying awake at night, thinking of the most horrific things some sick bastard could have done to the woman you..." he stopped himself before he admitted it to Fin.

Fin saw the pain in Elliot's eyes, devoid of moisture as Elliot forbade them from pooling.

"Elliot," Fin began in a surprisingly soft tone. "When I ran in to that basement...I didn't know what to expect. But when I got in there..." he hesitated, seeing the memory again, feeling his heart squeeze as much as it had then. "I saw fear in her eyes like I had never seen before."

Elliot was almost frozen for a second as he didn't want to meet Fin's eyes, but not wanting to look around the cafeteria, at people with only trivial problems.

"She would shoot me just for telling you that, so you don't know anything, right?"

"Right." Elliot agreed; he wouldn't say anything to Olivia.

"Detective Stabler," a voice said behind him. He turned and saw a nurse, Olivia's nurse. "She's asking for you."

Elliot didn't move immediately. "Thank you." he said and the nurse sidled away with a fond smile. Fin drank down the last of the almost cold coffee.

"Hey, man, you told Olivia yet?" Fin asked.

"No," elliot admitted with a sigh.

"She needs to know, Elliot. She'll find out sooner or later, better coming from you than her spotting the photos."

"I will tell her, Fin. I don't want to rush her yet." Fin nodded in agreement. "Anyway, I better get her the coffee she wanted or else." Elliot joked as he stood up.

"Meet you back at the presinct?" Fin asked, pushing his chair back.

"Yeah."

"Thanks for the coffee." Fin said, heading in the opposite direction to Elliot.

xXx

"Elliot!" Olivia smiled in relief, as Elliot stepped in to her hospital room, then proceeded to walk towards her bed. "You were gone so long; I thought you'd gone home."

"I wouldn't leave you, Liv." he said casually as he sat in the chair next to her bed, noticing her fond smile. He held out the coffee in his hand.

"You're a lifesaver." she praised, subtly refusing to acknowledge the real reason she'd asked for some time alone; he decided to play along if that's what she wanted. "Anyway, my nurse said I got the all clear; I can leave. Would you mind giving me a ride home? I can tell you all about the speech the nurse gave me about no heavy machinery or alcohol." she joked as she sipped her coffee.

"Actually, I know you've had a rough night, but you need to come back to the presinct with me first."

"To give my statement?" she asked doubtfully. "All I I remember is everything going black." she lied, hastily skipping over her near panic attack.

"Well then it'll be a short statement." Olivia merely smiled and decided not to argue. "But it's not just that, there's...other stuff, we need to talk to you about." He saw her eyes tighten in suspicion, but he cut her off before she could demand an explanation. "And Munch is dying to see you; he's piled up with paperwork back at the Presinct. Fin popped in while you were...asleep."

"Elliot, I can't go to the presinct in a hospital gown. And before you say, no, I'm not just putting your coat over it." she joked, wondering when she would get all her clothes back from evidence. If she even wanted them back now, after the possibility of them being tainted by whoever touched them. He merely chuckled quietly as he pulled something from under his seat. A black rucksack. He placed it beside her and began to explain as she opened it and looked in.

"I made a pitstop at my apartment; just some clothes, most of them are Kathleen's. The er...underwear is Kathleen's too. I hope you don't mind."

"No, thanks, El." she said, surprised by his thoughtlessness, but also slightly peeved about losing all her clothes. She blushed as she realised that besides the hospital gown, she was completely naked. Barely an arms reach from Elliot. Then she wondered in embarressment, who had undressed her and changed her.

"I'll give you some privacy." Elliot said, getting up.

"No, wait," Olivia suddenly called before she could think, causing him to hesitate. "I...I don't want to be alone." She looked away hesitantly, embarressed as a flush rose in her cheeks.

He considered for a second. He would stay but he would respect her privacy. "Ok."

She met his gaze with a warm smile as though she feared he would reject her. He remained stood up and leaned forward to pull the blue curtain around her bed. Then, he headed to the door, turning the small lock in to place. He returned to his seat, the curtain guarding her from his view, as intended. He heard her pulling the clothing from the rucksack. The light from the window cast her silhouette against the thin curtain. It was morning now, and he dreaded to think how long she'd spent last night lying on that dirty floor. He remembered how cold she had been when he had held her, calling for a bus.

He tried not to look as the shadow slipped the gown from her shoulders and allowing it to fall to the floor. He tried to look away from every perfect curve of her body. He looked away for a long moment, and when he looked back she was guiding delicate straps on to her shoulders. He tried to control the pounding in his chest and the heat rising down his body. He saw her slip his own t-shirt over her head and shoulders, allowing it to fall freely down her body, coming to rest below her waist. As he felt the pressure build in his groin, he knew he was letting his mind wander; his imagination was getting the better of him.

He looked away from the curtain and pushed the explosively erotic images from his mind. After another minute or so, he heard the curtain slide back. He looked up and saw her eyes watching him. _'He's still here,'_ she thought fondly, almost expecting him to disappear, though she knew she would never get her wish for everything that happened to be a bad dream; she was not about to wake up. He looked her up and down, and then back up. The black Converse hightops borrowed from Kathleen fitted, and so did the dark jeans that followed her every curve. He smiled when he saw his own NYPD t-shirt, and grey sweatshirt jacket over the top. It was too big, but she seemed to prefer it that way, like the size made it more comfortable.

"Thank you." she said again, stood in front of him.

"Liv, you don't need to thank me." he said, standing up opposite her. "I'm just glad you're ok."

She smiled softly for a moment before falling against his chest and placing her arms around his waist. She let out a sigh.

"The last few months seem like a nightmare." she admitted. "A nightmare I can't wake up from and..." she stopped herself, knowing she would end up in tears if she wasn't careful. "And we had better get going before Cragen busts both our asses." she joked, pulling away from his warm, broad chest.

"Yeah." Elliot muttered in agreement. She grabbed the empty rucksack and slung it over her shoulder. They headed to the door, as Elliot swallowed his disappointment. He thought she was ready, ready to tell him what happened, what happened in that basement. He took a deep breath. If she still needed time then that was fine. He would wait, he would always be there for her, he didn't want to rush her. As Fin said, _"It's her secret to share..."_

**A/N Aw I love it when Elliot's being nice, but then again I love it when he gets overprotective and shouty lol Olivia's slowly starting to open up to the idea of telling Elliot, but I doubt a hospital in Kathleen's clothes are the best place for that. :) I try to spellcheck as best as I can but I prefer to use Wordpad and it doesn't have that tool so I have to do it manually. Anyway, review if you can, all comments welcome and will get a shout out next chapter xx**


	7. Chapter 7 Too Much, Too Soon

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N I posted this an hour or two late from when I usually do, my bad. lol**

**Ok, time for shout outs (Idea borrowed from EOforevertogether lol)**

**Thanks to ala1975, ashleysvureader, Barabara Souza, circular-illumination, Iwannahamberger2, Klutzzy128, Kristy6, ncisbonesfan6247, slc2599, steffirodig, tazmania081005, Toeta95, twingirl1 and vanillacokelover for adding this story to your alerts. I appreciate that you want to follow the story, I'm enjoying writing it for you. x**

**Second, thank yous to Bonesaddict, kittyandstars, Kirsty6, swimfis5 and vanillacokelover for adding my story to your favourites list. I also smiled that I've wrote some names twice.**

**There's one author in particular that I just HAVE to mention and show my appreciation. EOforevertogether you are amazing, you always review, both positively and constructively which is awesome. I decided to give you an individual shout out for being so incredible and supportive xx**

**Ok, now for this chapter we start looking in to the main plot line, a bit of a twist on what happened in the park. Enjoy xx**

Chapter 7- Too Much, Too Soon

Olivia entered the almost empty squadroom; not the usual buzz of voices and phonecalls. "What's going on?" she asked with a nervous smile, looking to Elliot at her side.

"I'll explain in a minute; everyone's worried about you."

She looked over to her desk, where Cragen, Fin, Munch and Melinda were waiting. They turned as they heard her approach.

"Olivia!" came a relieved chorus. She smiled and glanced to make sure Elliot was still by her side.

"How you doing?" Munch asked as he pulled her in to a hug.

"Fine, as far as I know." she replied, catching Melinda's eyes.

"We've all been very worried." Cragen said as Munch pulled back from Olivia.

"Well, I'll give you a heads up the next time I get attacked." Olivia joked, and though they returned it with a smile, she knew they didn't find it funny given the circumstances, especially Elliot. "So, erm, are you going to tell me why everyone's been evacuated?" she joked. This time no one smiled, besides Olivia's nervous one that faltered almost as soon as it crept up.

"Privacy." Cragen said as he stood with his hands in his pockets.

She nervously looked around, wondering what was behind them practically...cornering her. She glanced around. Fin had settled on the corner of his desk and Munch lowered himself in to his chair. Elliot was close behind her; he placed a hand on her back, rubbing in gentle circles. He ushered her forward, towards a large pin board, the kind that could be flipped over. She leaned against the desk next to Fin, who gave her a slight smile of support. She could feel Elliot beside her, though he remained stood and at the ready.

"What do you mean?" she asked nervously, looking at Melinda, maybe they'd lied and she had been assaulted or...worse. _'No, Elliot would never allow that'_, she silently assured herself.

"We haven't exactly been entirely truthful with you." Munch said, looking as though he was grudgingly saying it on someone else's behalf. Olivia immediately looked at Cragen, who must have called for the lack of information, particularly when it involved Olivia.

"And just what have you been keeping from me?" Olivia demanded, standing up away from the desk as her voice steadily rose.

"Liv," Elliot began in an obvious attempt to calm her. But as his hands came up to her upper arms, she pushed them away.

"No, Elliot! I have been through Hell," she said, as tears pooled in her eyes. "And the last thing I need is the people I care about most in this world, lying to me and hiding things from me and..." Elliot barged past her.

He couldn't take her tears anymore. He flipped the large board. "You weren't sexually assaulted. But we found the circumstances in which you were left to be very suspicious."

Her eyes stayed on his as a single tear fell down her cheek. "El, please, enough of the riddles, just tell me. I'm stronger than you give me credit for."

He decided not to argue about the fact she thought he thought her as anything other than strong. "No assault, no mugging, no beating...Hell, they even laid your gun and badge out beside you."

"Maybe they were going to...hurt me, but ran when they found my badge." she suggested.

Elliot exchanged a dark glance with Cragen. Olivia did not miss it.

"What else are you not telling me?" Olivia asked, though she moved towards the board. Photos of her, while she was unconscious, had been pinned up. A few notes were scribbled around it but as soon as she saw how she was positioned, memories flashed through her mind of _him_.

"Harris." she muttered, barely audible as her eyes filled up once more with tears. Only Elliot was close enough to hear her. He gave her a sad look, but then she noticed the other photos of a similar looking woman. Body photos of her arms, legs, face...on an autopsy table. "Who is this?"

He hesitated. "Martine Olivia." He paused again, then sighed. "We think someone's after you, Liv."

"What?" Olivia asked, her eyes wide.

"She was found in the park." Fin replied. "Not far from you."

"She was positioned the same way as you. And she looks similar to you." Munch said, a sad look in his eyes.

Olivia covered her face, roughly wiping away her tears with the sleeve of her borrowed jacket. "So? Could it be a coincidence?" she hoped, feeling the dread in her throat.

"Olivia," Cragen began. "Her surname, is pronouned 'O-liv-ee-ay', like Laurence Olivier, but spelt O-L-I-V-I-A. Olivia. Like your name. She was attacked the same way, positioned the same, even within 50 yards of where you were left." His eyes held the sad look she was now accustomed to.

"Liv," Elliot said, stepping closer. "The chances that this is a coincidence...are a million to one."

She stepped closer as her cheeks flooded with tears. "Is..is it..._him_?" she whispered, her voice breaking.

"No, Liv, it's not him." he said, causing her to fall against his chest sobbing. "But I promise you, I'm going to find this guy, whoever it is. And I'll keep you safe. No matter what."

After a moment of being held by Elliot, it all became too much. She pushed away from him and ran away, physically and emotionally. her nightmare was not over, her was still leering at her, taunting her. Only this time Elliot was there to save her. She could hear Elliot calling after her as she hurried to the cribs. "Liv, wait," She ignored him, turning the corner and no longer hearing his please for her to stop.

She practically ran in to the cribs; her usual sanctuary after long, paperwork filled nights. She clung to the metal post at the corner of the beds; the only thing keeping her grounded. She sobbed as she saw his face flash behind her eyes; she squeezed her eyes shut as tears fell, trying to banish him from her mind.

"Olivia?" came a soft voice.

Olivia froze, before quickly trying to wipe her tears away and gain composure.

"Melinda." She turned, forcing a smile across her face. Melinda merely looked at her.

"You don't have to pretend around me, Olivia."

Olivia looked away, dropping her smile, knowing it was transparent to her friend. She snak on to the bed, dropping her head in to her hands. Tears silently fell. She felt the bed dip next to her and felt Melinda's hand slide across her shoulder.

"Olivia, you know we all love you. Never feel the need to hide who you are from us."

Olivia shook her head, wiped her face and forbade anymore tears to fall. She took a breath. "I've been meaning to ask you...the rape kit." Olivia hinted, not sure if she trusted her voice.

"I didn't perform your rape kit, Olivia. You were already at the ER and a nurse was on call." Olivia merely nodded. "But I saw the results; I have a friend at General. Liv, there was no signs of assault. There was no internal or external trauma and no traces of spermicide. I had my friend run further tests, just in case. You're clean of STDs or infections. You weren't assaulted, Olivia."

Olivia knew Melinda meant well, to help her feel better, but her mind spun of posibilities of what could have been.

"I don't know if this is a conselation, Olivia, but...Elliot never left your side. He went with you in the ambulance and was there during the rape kit."

Olivia spun to look at her.

"My friend, the nurse, well he's a male nurse. I guess Elliot didn't trust him alone with you. Don't worry, you were covered." Melinda dded, seeing the worried frown on Olivia's face.

Olivia sighed and shook her head. "I need to end this. I want him out of my llife for good."

Melinda knew who she meant. Harris.

"Liv, it might not..." Melinda began.

"No, it's him! I know it." she nodded. "I need Elliot." She left without waiting for Melinda.

xXx

Olivia crashed in to Elliot's chest only a few moments after rushing from the cribs. She stepped back in shock but her expression softened when she looked up to see her blue eyes saviour. He took in her flushed cheeks and tearty eyes. She blinked, but her attempts to remove them only caused them to fall. He cupped his hand to her cheek, using his thumbs to gently remove the moisture.

"Liv," he said softly as she pressed her cheek further in to his warm, supportive hand. After a mere second, she gave in and fell against his chest. She clutched on to him, grabbing a fistful of his shirt at his back to prevent being pulled away. But she was surprised when he pulled at her just as securely as she held him.

Even more so as he pressed her trembling body against his muscular chest, his hand in her hair to prevent her pulling away and fleeing, as she so often did when she cried in front of him. He could feel her sobbing against him, her shirt and her nails digging in to his hip as she fought for control. He didn't mind,; he had been through worse for her. And he's do it all again if it meant keeping her safe. He would do anything for her.

"Elliot," she sobbed out, pulling him impossible closer. He clung to her, fearful her legs would give out as she cried.

"Liv, it's ok, I'm here." He felt her begin to shake her head. "'Livia, I am here for you, whether you like it or not, and I am not going anywhere. You got that?"

She knew it was the truth, it always had been. With the two of them, it was the unspoken truth that mattered. She lifted her head from his chest, from under his chin. She moved to grip his shoulders, dangerously close to being wrapped around his neck.

"El, I..." she fumbled her words, struggling to control her voice. She refused to meet his eyes, looking down and breathing ruggedly.

"Liv, it's ok, you don't have to say anything." he soothed, knowing she was probably trying to apologise for crying. he tried to hug her again, already missing her warm touch.

"No, Elliot, I do, I do," she fumbled in a rush, urgency clear in her tone as though this would be her last chance to tell him.

"Liv, calm down, it's..."

"Elliot, that basement," she interrupted. He froze, knowing instantly what she was referring to. "In that basement, at Sealview..." Another sob rose in her chest. "I was so scared," she admitted, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Olivia," he said, putting his head under her chin to make her look at him. "There is nothing to be ashamed of. You have nothing to be ashamed of," he assured, brushing her hair from her face.

"El...he-" Her words fell short in sobs. She took a deep breath. "When I was in the bsaement he-"

"Olivia!" Cragen interrupted her before she could finish her sentence. She turned to look at him, her heart breaking. She had been stopped. "I know you've had a rough night, but there's still more we need to tell you." His eyes were soft, obviously realising he had interrupted something important.

Elliot felt Olivia's grip on his shirt begin to loosen. For a split second he considered refusing to let her go, to hold her forever, and deny Cragen. But he knew that was impossible. Here and now was not the time to drag up Liv's history. She had proven she was going to tell him. He would just have to be patient. He'd wait till they were alone in the privacy of her apartment; she could pour her heart out to him and he would hold her as tightly as she needed, savouring every gentle touch of her skin against his.

"Yes, Captain." was all he heard, ringing in his ears, despite her barely audible tone, as Olivia walked away from his warm embrace.

Cragen didn't wait for Elliot's arguement of the interruption. Elliot noticed Liv's flinch as Cragen innocently placed his hand on her upper back, guiding her to the squad room.

He was barely a second from the truth, truth that could save him from torturing himself with hideously horrendous images within his head. But also to save Liv from her own personal Hell. Everyday she carried that basement with her, that cold floor, the handcuffs and that filthy mattress, Elliot recalled from crime scene photos. But he had drew the line at reading her statement, he wanted her to tell him when she was ready. Her head was full of those disgusting things, that disgusting man. If she shared those damaging memories then she could begin to heal. And he would be there for her, every step of the way, helping her through this 'sickness'. For always and forever, so long as they both shall live.

**A/N I tried to get Melinda involved as more of a friend than her pathological role but, of course, Liv's stubborn and refuses to crumble to a girly conversation lol. I realise that it would be pointless getting Liv tested for loads of STDs but I thought 'Livia would panic over what **_**could**_** have happened so, for her piece of mind lol x Anyone catch the subtext of the final line? ;) Reviews make me smile xx**


	8. Chapter 8 Revelations

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N Ok, so I'm going to begin with 2 apologies. Firstly, I noticed how many typos there were in my last chapter, really annoyed with myself lol but as I said before I'm doing it manually. (Though I'm surprised how I managed to miss that many. o_O) Second of all, I was suppose to post this yesterday but I was out all night and didn't have change to get to a computer. But I'm posting it now, the first thing I did when I got home from college.**

**Thank you to Kristy6, Hutch917, EOforevertogether and courtneylovejason for reviewing, comments were all welcome and made me smile. Thank you to Katmor, Charming SVU Angel and courtneylovejason for adding me to story alerts, also made me smile. and thank you to XenaTwin who added me to her favourite stories list. :) You all made my day.**

**Finally, just a quite thing, Olivia's been under a lot of pressure recently (Thanks to moi, not sure if I should smile at that fact :/) so I've had Olivia crying and hanging off Elliot (Jealous XD) lol This chapter shows more of her anger come out, and is a good release of emotion for her. After this I'm changing my approach to how she's feeling, Badass Benson is returning lol **

**Warning: There is a use of a certain swear word (B*stard)- I use curse words a lot (much to my mum's annoyance) but I'm also aware that not all people appreciate language like this. It won't be blanked out further in the story so I wanted to warn those you would prefer not to read it, at your own discretion. **

Chapter 8- Revelations

Elliot returned to the squadroom to see Olivia stood close to the board of photos and notes, a frown on her brow and the redness around her eyes was paling. Fin was a few paces behind her, his arms folded across his chest as he looked at the board, or watched Olivia, Elliot couldn't tell. He stepped up beside her.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Elliot offered.

She considered for a second. "If she was somehow to do with what happened to me, to send a message...why specifically her? Or maybe she was just an unlucky woman. Wrong place, wrong time?" she asked, finally meeting his eyes.

He turned away and reached over to his desk, retrieving a file and then rejoining her. Olivia glanced behind him as she watched his movements and spotted Cragen talking with Melinda. Both of them had concerned frowns and Olivia briefly panicked Melinda had betrayed her trust. She felt something touch her arm, causing her to jump from her thoughts.

"Liv? I said 'are you ok?' " Elliot said, retracting his hand from her elbow, looking apologetic.

"Oh. Yeah. So what have we got?" she distractedly asked, peering down at the file that lay open in his hands.

"Victim, Martine Olivia, aged 36, not married as far as we know; no ring found on the body. Criminal record; arrested twice on drug possession, though served no time due to lack of evidence," he said, frowning a little. "But also collared a few weeks ago when she was 'found in a parked vehicle performing sexual acts on a paying customer', This woman was a hooker." he added with raised eyebrows.

"Could possibly explain how she got out of those drug charges. Very easy for a distracted cop to 'misplace' the evidence." Fin offered, though he didn't smile.

Olivia wanted to smile at his joke, but she couldn't quite force it. "She was just in the wrong place, at the wrong time." Olivia said, her eyes focused on the portrait photo of Martine on the autopsy table; her face was pale and smooth, stripped of make up and falsities. Her hair was pulled back from her face. She looked almost angelic. Olivia knew she should feel guilt rising in her chest, feeling the blame of this woman's life on her hands, but she didn't. The rational side of her brain was overpowering, telling her that she wasn't the one to grab this poor woman. She wasn't the one to take her life from her. She wasn't the one to blame at all, just another victim. _Again_, she thought with a touch of sadness.

There was a pregnant pause as Elliot debated whether to reach out and touch her in reassurance, but something in the back of his mind told him it would not help.

"Hey," a voice said, as Cragen strode towards them. "Melinda just gave me the report for the dead woman; she was hit in the head, but not before being severly beaten."

"What?" Olivia asked in confusion. "How can she have been beaten if she has no bruises?" she asked, indicating towards the portrait photo on the board behind her.

"Her face was unharmed but below that she was covered in bruises. The attack was focused a little more south than her face, if you catch my meaning." he said with a cool expression. "Melinda said if she hadn't been murdered, she would have needed reconstructive surgery."

"Was she raped?" Elliot professionally asked.

"Yes," Cragen said, briefly checking the file. "Severe internal damage suggests a brutal, violent attack."

"Bastard." Olivia swore under her breath, returning to face the board again. She had tried not to see her own photos but now they were unavoidable. She began shaking her head. "These aren't connected; they can't be."

"Actually, they can, and most probably are." a soft voice informed. George Huang was meeting them at the board. His eyes flitted across the images and then landed on Olivia.

"How is that possible? The two incidents are completely different and..." Olivia argued.

"I agree they are, but that doesn't necessarily mean they aren't connected. The first attack," he said, stepping up towards Martine's images. "...Was angry, incredibly so; the rage was barely controllable. When people are so enraged that they lash out, they don't usually fixate on one particular area of the body, their anger just tells them to administer as much pain as they can upon the object of their aggression, as a way of release. But in this attack, the violence was aimed at her groin area. Coupled with the vicious rape, I think this is a case of a hate crime, so to speak. The perpetrator has such a hatred of women that he fixated on the one thing that distinguishes them from men."

"And how does this relate to Olivia?" Elliot interrupted.

"This woman was the object the perpetrator used in place of Olivia. He's sending a message. He wanted show how much hatred he feels towards her and yet use it as a threat. The point of this attack was not to hurt Olivia, but to control her. He was showing what he could potentially do to her. But when it came to actually having access to Olivia, he didn't act upon it in a display of dominance, showing he could hurt her if he wanted, could make her suffer and be under his control. We can even see this in his control over the crime scene. He chose where to leave the first victim and how she was left. When he attacked Olivia, setting out her gun and badge was a flair of arrogance; an attempt to show superiority over her profession. The fact that she's a Detective, usually the one in power, and yet he controlled her, would have been a major turn on for him."

"So he was raping her and it was the control that was the turn on? You kiddin' me?" Fin asked with a frown of disgust.

"Fin, you know as well as I do, sex crimes are hardly ever about sex." Huang refuted.

"Will you stop talking about me like I'm not here! This wasn't a sex crime!" Olivia interrupted. "He didn't do anything to me!"

"But he did to Martine Olivia, and as she represents you; in his mind, he has hurt you. There are definite sexual undertones though; the positioning of the body, the removal and arrangement of clothes, he wanted you to feel dominated and vulnerable Olivia, to show you he has power over you."

"Great! A sexual, violent deviant wants me! Lucky me! Oh, wait, maybe Martine's the lucky one, I mean he did choose her first, huh? Maybe I should be jealous I'm only his second prize!" Olivia exclaimed sarcastically, though Huang showed no change in his expression.

"You're not the second prize Olivia, this whole situation is about you. He has fixated on you for a purpose; to hurt you or make you suffer, maybe even revenge."

"And we all know who would want revenge!" she yelled again. "Why are we sitting here looking at crime scene photos when we could just go after that bastard?"

"Liv," Elliot began.

"No! Look!" she yelled, yanking a picture of herself roughly from the board. "Look at it!" She thrust the photo in to his hands and he grudingly surveyed the image that was already etched in to his memories, despite his attempts to remove it. "Look at how I'm positioned. My hands, they're behind my back, as though they were handcuffed." She looked at Fin, and he understood immediately what she meant.

"'Livia, we can't know for sure if-"

"Oh come on Fin, you know as well as I do that he was livid at me for bringing him down. You saw the same fury in his eyes that I did!"

"Actually, Liv, I didn't get that close to him to see the look in his eyes." He had intended his comment to calm her, see another side of the arguement, but it merely enraged her further.

"Well then I apologize that you didn't get to experience an evening with Lowell Harris!" she yelled, causing herself to shudder as she finally said his name out loud. "Believe me, you're not missing much!" she continued to yell. How could he even throw that in her face? Did he really not understand how it had made her feel? The effect it had had on her?

"Olivia, you know that's not what I meant. All I know, is I spent a lot of time around that guy and I didn't get the slightest feeling he was dodgy until it was too late. That man is good at hiding his thoughts and feelings..." Fin reasoned.

Olivia lunged at him, causing Elliot to barge past Huang to secure his arms around her waist as she collided with his chest in attempts to get at Fin. Her arms lashed out as she spoke, trying to make contact with Fin. "You bastard! He is not a man! He is a monster!"

"Liv, calm down! Come on Liv, take a breath!" Elliot instructed, wrapping his arms securely around her to hold her away from Fin, who hadn't moved through the ordeal. The only change was the now apologetic expression on his face.

"No, get off me!" she yelled, struggling against Elliot's unbreakable grip as he held her securely. "Let me go!"

"I'm not letting you go, Liv. Calm down, just calm down." he soothed, feeling her movements slow.

"No, get off me." she sobbed, finally stopping and falling against his chest. He relaxed his grip but only slightly, to prevent hurting her. "Let go. Let go." she continued to sob, but soon, the hitting of her fist against his chest began clutching of his shirt. And she attempts to push him away were now gripped fists to keep him close. Within seconds, her head fell against his chest, unashamedly sobbing and cascading tears. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." she repeated over and over, her voice breaking from emotion.

"You've got nothing to be sorry for, Olivia. Just take a deep breath, I'm here." Elliot comforted. But it was not to him she was apologising. She shook her head and repeated it again. Finally, it reached the intended person.

"Baby girl, you know we'll always be cool." Fin replied, knowing she had merit for her outburst. "Maybe I'm the one who should be apologisin'."

After a few moments, Elliot led Olivia away, to the couch upstairs, to get some sleep, despite having been unconscious for an undetermined amount of time. When he returned a few minutes later, Cragen, Fin and Huang were already in discussion.

"This man is a narcissist; he's convinced of his own power and superiority; he believes he's smart enough to evade police."

"Could that be because he used to be one? Sort of." Elliot asked, adopting a wide stance and folding his arms across his chest.

Huang sighed. "Elliot, if you're asking if Lowell Harris could have done this, then the answer is 'yes'." Elliot's stomach dropped. "But that doesn't mean that it's definitely him. There is an unfortunate amount of people I have treated who are just as capable of committing crimes like these. I suggest you don't focus on Harris just yet, search out as many suspects as possible."

"No offence, Doc, but how about you leave the police work up to us." Elliot bluntly said, before striding away, rejoining Olivia upstairs.

"Don't mind him, you know he gets cranky when he doesn't sleep." Fin retorted to Huang, passing a sideways glance in Elliot's direction.

"I am more than aware of Elliot's behaviour." Huang conceded.

"So what say you, Doc?" Cragen asked. "Who fits the profile?"

"The perpetrator is most definitely someone who knows Olivia, though she may not know them, at least not directly. And they most definitely hold a grudge against her, most likely for something she did to them, or they hold her responsible for. I recommend searching for white males, aged anywhere from 25-45 years old. They have anger issues, though they may not be immediately apparent. They will have an air of confidence about them, be able to appear charming if they wish and yet, at the drop of the hat, be infuriated and incredibily aggressive."

"So just about every caucasian American with stress issues." Fin retorted. "Including Harris."

"Huang's right, Fin. Don't point the finger too soon. But this is the best lead we've got. Check up on Harris, I want to know everything; you know the drill." Fin immediately nodded and headed towards his desk.

"And call Munch. Have him tell CSU to do a final sweep of the area and then pack up, get any evidence to the lab, ASAP." Fin nodded again as he already had the telephone in his hand, dialling Munch's number.

**A/N Woah, Liv, lol major freak out, I know. How did I do with Haung? I'm really happy with fin in this chapter, can imagine his expressions which made me giggle lol. Anyway, review if you can. xx**


	9. Chapter 9 Hell At Home

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N I'm going to start by thanking EOforevertogether, courtneylovejason, Kristy6 and spacekitten2700 for reviewing the last chapter, feeedback really helps to keep motivated.**

**maerae93 you're a star, I opened my email to see so many alerts from you, you made me hyper for several hours ^_^ **

**I'd also like to thank svugurl16, MariskaHargitaylove, maerae93 and spacekitten2700 for adding story alerts. It makes me smile to see names repeated every time I update, you're my regular superstars :) *mega cheesy (I know)* :)**

**I'm a little concerned about people being able to picture Olivia's apartment as I've written it. :/ Well read and see what you think, I tried my best to be clear with the descriptions. Enjoy xx**

Chapter 9- Hell At Home

Olivia finally made it home. Cragen had ordered her home, telling her she needed to rest, having worked almost 48 hours. He didn't find it funny when she pointed out that she'd slept in hospital. And Elliot had not been anywhere near understanding when she declined a ride home, instead insisting that she would take a taxi. She had her backup 9mm at her hip and could still see his blazing blue eyes that had followed her path out of the squadroom.

"Señorita, Señorita!" the driver called, pulling Olivia from her thoughts. She looked up and saw her apartment building. She pulled the borrowed 20 dollar bill from her jean pocket. She assumed Elliot had lent her the money to keep her happy, well maybe just because it was easier than arguing with her over a ride or a cab.

He had been less than impressed by the idea of her going home alone, in the early hours of the morning, with some psycho on the loose. She sighed as the driver shoved less than the expected change back in to her head. She decided not to argue. She pocketed it as she climbed out. As soon as she slammed the door, the driver sped away. Leaving her alone on the darkened street. She merely glanced at the flickering streetlight, blowing old newspapers and shadows. She had her gun; she's safe. Or at least that's what she chanted in her mind.

She entered her building, ensuring the door was secure behind her. By the time she reached her door, she was thankful she had given Elliot a copy of her key; her's was in evidence lockup. She turned the key and stepped inside. She closed the door and dropped the latch on the lock, tossing her key, change and replacement badge on to the small table beside the door. She kept her cell phone and gun at her hip, deciding she'd put them on her bedside table. Just in case. She headed down the hallway, turning right at the end and stepping in to the bathroom. She stepped in front of the mirror and saw she wasn't as a mess as she had pictured in her head. She turned and leaned over the bathtub.

The tub began to fill as she twisted the taps. She closed and locked the bathroom door, although there were two; despite living alone. She quickly undressed, dying to clean up and get in to her own clothes. She was grateful to Elliot for bringing her fresh clothes, but Kathleen was a curvaceous _teenager_, Olivia was a curvaceous _woman_. The underwear and jeans were a little tight, but not uncomfortable. She unclipped her holster and pulled out her cell phone, setting them on the sink behind the taps. She kicked off her shoes and socks, then pulled off her jacket. She stripped down until she was in _only _Elliot's shirt.

She briefly smiled as she pressed the material against her bare body, breathing in his scent. She sighed contentedly as she lifted it off. She dumped the clothes in the dirty laundrey basket; she'd clean them before returning them. She twisted the taps once again and then lowered herself in to the soothing water. She started to feel clean already.

She had a gut feeling it was Harris and the thought of him being that close to her, despite not touching her, made her feel sick and dirty. She would have shivered at the thought but the water was far too warm. When she was finally done in the bath, she stepped out and pulled the plug. As the water began to drain. She pulled a fresh, fluffy white towel from the nearby cabinet.

She quickly wrapped thw towel around herself, feeling the chilly air swirl around her. The towel was soft against her skin, barely reaching mid-thigh. She headed for the door and slid the gold lock open. Her bedroom door was directly opposite. Within three steps she was at the door, confidently turning the handle and stepping forward. Only to stumble back against the frame a second later, surveying the state of her bedroom.

Her curtain rail had been torn from the walls, causing the curtain to puddle on the floor, the blinds not too far away, bend in angular directions. Her chester drawers had been pulled out and discarded around the room, one beside the unit itself, another at the foot of her bed and the other two were not visible. Her lamp and bedside table were on the floor, knocked over, yet the lamp cord had been ripped from the plug that was still in the wall. Her clothes were scattering the floor. Her bedcovers had been ripped from the bed, her pillows slashed, leaving the feather's within exposed. The few photos she did have, of her mother, Elliot, the squad (all of which she featured in), were thrown to the floor, glass smashed, frames broken at the corners. The whole room had been destroyed and turned upside down. The only things not a mess were on the bed, resting on the exposed mattress. Neatly laid out and positioned in rows of matching sets, were her underwear.

After only the smallest two seconds of shock and horror, she backed out of the room and frantically slammed the bathroom door, not taking her eyes off the bed. She fumbled the lock back in to place and backed away from the door in blind panic. The other door! Her bathroom had two doors! She scrambled across the room to secure the other one. How could she have forgot that? One door to the landing, another to her bedroom. But as she blindly extended her hand, searching for something to hold on to, the little gold locks did not seem as strong as they had earlier. She kept her eyes flickering between the two doors as her hand searched for her gun, that she had left resting behind the taps. She felt a sliver of cold metal. She yanked it up, tossing the holster to the floor.

She immediately took off the safety and pointed it between the doors, alternating in a panic. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, as she grabbed up her cell phone. Fumbling slightly, she dialled the number that was engraved in her heart. She only realised she was crying when she felt them overflow her eyes and run down her cheeks in hot streams. He picked up within only two dials. "Hello?" but she didn't respond, her mind blank as she watched the doors. His words made her heart give a squeeze, like she wasn't alone, someone was there to protect her from the unknown monster she envisioned stalking her hallway and bedroom.

"Liv? You there?" he asked again after a moment of silence as she struggled to control herself.

"Elliot," she sobbed out. "Elliot I need you."

She could hear him moving around already. "Liv, what's going on?"

"Someone's in my apartment! Please help me, El." She hurriedly said, trying to whisper, still switching her aim from door to door, determinedly steady given her shuddering breaths.

"I'm on my way!" She heard his car start up in the background. "I'm in the car right now, I'm only a few blocks away. You've got your gun, you're going to be ok." he assured, knowing the panic she must be in, he was in it with her. His heart was racing faster than his car.

"Please hurry," She heard him accelerating at her words.

"Don't worry, Liv, I'm coming for you." The line went dead.

She knew he'd always be coming for her, whether she wanted him to or not. She lowered the cell phone from her face, suddenly feeling hollow by being alone again, trapped in her bathroom, Elliot's voice no longer being her only distraction. Her cell slipped from her grip, clattering to the floor. After a moment of silence on both sides of the doors, she slowly lowered her aim. _'If someone was going to burst in they'd have done it by now, right'? _she assured herself. But it did nothing to abate her fear. She left the safety off, hoping she wouldn't have to use it.

As she sat cowering against the side of the bathtub, she found herself thinking about Elliot, of him speeding down the darkened streets, of his trusted embrace and his angel blue eyes. In that moment, as she sat alone, longing for nothing more than for Elliot to be by her side, she decided. She would tell him. Of Sealview. Of Harris. She would tell him everything, especially of her feelings. Her feelings for him. And no one was going to stop her, no one was going to interrupt her or break her confidence. _'I'm ready to tell him.'_

After what felt like an eternity, she heard footsteps, outside the bathroom door. And the eeringly familiar sound of a cocking gun. She froze, raising herself to full height and raising her gun, ready to face her demon. She heard the bedroom floorboards squeek under heavy footsteps. Her bathroom handle slowly turned, only to turn back when it wouldn't budge. Then it turned more violently, and she stepped back, squaring her shoulders. The door lurched as someone put their weight against it. Then again, more aggressively. But this time Olivia refused to cry. She had never been one to submit, and she would no longer back down in fear. A final lunge and the door gave way, she steadied her aim at her monster. No, wait!...Elliot stood with her gun focused between his eyes. He raised his hands up in surrender, his gun loose in his fingers as she blinked in confusion but didn't lower her weapon. "Liv?"

**A/N I don't know if anyone else would agree with this, but I'm a huge Nickelback fan and I was listening to 'I'd Come For You' while I was writing this chapter. Although in the official video it's about a father/daughter, I can still imagine Elliot speeding down the streets, racing to get to Olivia with this song ^_^ Agree? Disagree? *Nickelback rocks!***


	10. Chapter 10 Critical Analysis

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N ****Thank you to AprilBaby95 and svuNrizzlesluvr4life for adding story alerts. Thank you to courtneylovejason, maerae93, lawandorderSVUismylife, spacekitten2700 and EOforevertogether for your feedback, made me smile. :)  
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Chapter 10- Critical Analysis

Olivia had to make do with Elliot's coat around her to shield her bare shoulders and low neckline, from the CSU guys, who were now trawling her apartment for evidence. It did little to conceal her legs, but at least it covered almost to her knee, compared to the higher than mid-thigh towel.

She sat in the bathroom, on the edge of the bathtub. In fact, she hadn't moved since Elliot had turned up. She vaguely remember lowering her gun. Or Elliot easing her gun from her vice-like grip. The only thing she did remember was him draping his coat around her shoulders. Well, more accurately, she remembered his fingers grazing her neck and him gently kissing the top of her head, assuring her "It'll all be over soon." And while she sat alone, ironically still trapped in her bathroom, all she could think of was Harris going through her drawers. Touching her panties, all of which she resolved to throw in the trash, no matter how much it would cost to replace them. But she also thought, with a smile, how sweetly satisfying it would be to put _him_ in cuffs. Again. And this time she would get her ten minutes alone with him, to show him just how strong she was. And that she wasn't, isn't, and never will be _his little fish_. He can't...

"Liv?"

"Huh?" She snapped from her thoughts.

"I said 'I need to go talk with the CSU techs,' but I'll just be in the other room, ok?" Elliot assured, monitoring her expression for an answer.

She merely nodded once; she dreaded to think of him seeing her room, of her possessions that had been broken, sabotaged and destroyed. Elliot sighed and stood up from crouching in front of her. She pulled the coat closer as the cool air bit at her skin.

Elliot closed the bathroom door as he stepped out; Liv didn't need to see everything again. He stepped in to her bedroom, surveying the destruction once more and feeling anger boil in his chest.

"What've we got?" he called, as a lead CSU tech turned with a clipboard.

"Hardly anything; you've got yourself a smart criminal." he joked.

"There's no such thing." Elliot denied, with a glare. "They all slip up somehow."

"Not this one. Front door wasn't damaged, the lock was pristine, actually."

"Yeah, she had it replaced last week; she lost her key, had to change the locks." Elliot explained.

"Well, then the perpretrator had a spare key, there were no scratches or tool marks on the surface or the inner workings of the lock."

Elliot sighed. Liv can't stay here, not if the perp could get in and out when they want. "Ok. What else? Prints?"

"None." The 20-something CSU informed. "Must have been wearing gloves, we've dusted every flat surface in the apartment. Nothing."

"Yeah, but shouldn't gloves leave fibres?" Elliot frowned.

"Theoretically, unless they weren't made of fibres, per say."

Elliot thought for a second. "Latex?"

"Would be my first guess. And not the cheap kind either. See, cheap latex gloves are often thin, which still allows oils from the fingertips to seep through."

"Wait, you're telling me, that latex gloves can still leave prints?" Elliot asked skeptically.

"Yeah, but like I said, this perpetrator left no prints, suggesting they either had no fingertip," he joked. "Or they've got better financers than us, and they bought the expensive polymer gloves."

"In basic terms?" Elliot questioned in frustration.

"They had thick gloves." he said, obviously disappointed by the lack of confusing mumbo-jumbo.

Elliot sighed. _Great. A smart and financed suspect. That's all we need._ He looked up as the CSU turned back to the room. "Anyway, like I said, everything's clean. The only thing we did find were two hairs."

"Can you get DNA?" Elliot hurried to ask.

"Too soon to tell yet. One was on the floor, caught in some broken glass. Assuming the perpetrator smashed the light, the shattering glass could have caught on him as it fell to the ground, pulled a hair along with it. The other one, we found it on the bed, alongside Olivia's...erm, her...things."

Elliot decided not to intimidate the young tech as he flushed bright red and looked anywhere except the bed. Elliot stepped forward the bed. He allowed his eyes to sweep across the selection of red, black, purple...lace, silk, cotton...blood?

"Hey, what's this?" Elliot pointed to the small, almost invisible drop of red on the exposed mattress.

"One second." The CSU quickly grabbed a swab, laced it in saline, and scooped up the spot of crimson. But after a few drops of solution the colour didn't change. "That's odd. It's not blood."

Elliot frowned but as he stepped back, he spotter another one. "There, look." He crouched down, and glimpsed the large smear of red on the wooden frame of Olivia's bed, slightly concealed by the mattress. "You photographed this?" Elliot checked.

"Yeah, everything's been documented."

Several CSU technicians looked up as Elliot tossed the mattress, causing it to flip away and fall against the wall. "Woah." was all the techie said as Elliot merely frowned down, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

Scrawled across the wooden panels of the bed, in red paint, were the words:

BITCH

NOW YOU DIE

And a crudely drawn fish that was more symbolic of Christianity. "How could you have missed this?" Elliot fumed at the young tech with the clipboard.

"I don't-I didn't-I-I was going to-" he fumbled in a fluster.

"Get this photographed and sampled!" Elliot demanded, his frown causing the young CSU to blush red and avert his eyes. Elliot stormed from the room as techs swarmed around the bed.

"Damn rookies." Elliot cursed under his breath.

xXx

"Come on Liv," Elliot soothed, placing his arm around her back and encouraging her to stand.

"What did you find?"

"Er- why don't we focus on getting you out of here first, ok?" he dodged; the last thing she needed was to know of the blood-like words that were now dripping crimson on to her bedroom carpet.

He pulled open the door and started to guide her down the hallway. Olivia was half thankful that he had shut the bedroom door, she didn't need to see that chaos again, but on the other hand, not seeing the mess only made her more paranoid about what they were finding. She knew from years as an SVU Detective that perps didn't lay out underwear just to look at them, and she didn't dare let her mind imagine the disgusting things Harris could have done with them. The thought alone would turn her stomach.

By the time she was in Elliot's car, that was roughly parked halfway on the curb, she was exhausted. She barely heard as Elliot stated "The week isn't even half gone yet and you've barely slept." She considered telling him, once again, that she slept in hospital, but then again a whack to the head wasn't usually used as a sleep aid.

She sat in the passanger seat, thankful the heating was on, with her head resting against the window. She watched the almost deserted streets pass by, and it wasn't long before she got annoyed with Elliot's eyes constantly glancing at her when he thought she couldn't see.

"I'm fine, Elliot." she said with a sigh. "You can stop worrying about me now."

"Really?" he muttered doubtfully.

"Yes, really." she said defiantly as she turned to him. "And you know what? I'm tired of crying over that disgusting animal! I hate that he can affect me this way! That he can scare me so easily and get to me the way he does!"

"Liv-"

"No, Elliot!" she interrupted as she angrily looked at him. "Look at me! I'm in a bath towel and my partner's coat! You won't even give me my gun or badge, do you realise how ridiculous all of this is?" she demanded rhetorically.

"Ok, first of all," he replied, raising his voice slightly and looking between her and the road. "I won't give you your gun or badge because you have nowhere to keep them. What, you gonna do, sew your gun to the towel?" he demanded doubtfully.

"Don't mock me Elliot, you-"

"I'm not mocking you, 'Livia, I'm just pointing out that none of this is at all ridiculous so long as you're safe! You did what you had to do; it's not your fault."

She spun in her seat incredulously. "You're damn right it's not! I can't help the way this is affecting me! I can't control the way it's making me feel, that's not my fault!"

"Liv, I didn't say it was!" he replied.

"You think I allow myself to be scared? And _allow _myself to hide away in my bathroom? I can't control fear, Elliot, in _that _situation, I don't think anyone could! If I hadn't locked myself in the bathroom, how do you know he wasn't there? Wasn't waiting for me to come home? How do you know-"

"Liv!" he interrupted, knowing he had sparked a potentially huge argument, and now was not the best time for her to be refusing his help. "Look, I didn't mean what I said the way it sounded. Ok?"

When she didn't respond and merely turned back to the window, he sighed. "Liv, I'm sorry. Ok? I just...I just want to keep you safe and everytime I try I feel like I'm failing."

She turned to look at him, and noticed how he was adamently staring out the windshield, even though they had just pulled up at the traffic lights. "Elliot," she said, but he still didn't look. "Hey, El, look at me." After a moment he looked, she placed her hand on his shoulder. "The fact that we've been partners for so long, and I'm still here, shows that you do a damn good job of taking care of me."

As his eyes continued to monitor hers, one side of his face glowing slightly from the streetlights, she considered leaning in to hug him. A car horn blared. She jumped slightly as Elliot merely frowned at the jerk behind them. He pulled away from the lights and turned a corner, not far from the precinct now.

"Don't worry Liv, when we get to the precinct you can finally get a goodnight sleep."

"I guess." she half heartedly replied, deciding not to inform him that sleep was difficult to come by these days, especially with the things swirling around in her head.

xXx

As soon as they arrived at the precinct, Olivia headed straight for her locker. She always kept a whole set of clothes at hand. If it wasn't heavy rain or spilt coffee, or even the odd injury, she always needed a change of clothes. The aged metal groaned as she yanked open the door. She quickly grabbed the desired items from the bottom of her locker, her hairbrush and her spare holster. Elliot smirked as he saw this, deciding not to ask when she wanted her weapon back. He placed a protective hand on her back as they headed towards the cribs, but her independant stride stopped abruptly.

"I don't need a sitter Elliot; I know where the cribs are." she said with a sigh, obviously hinting for him to back off.

He looked at her for a second, and when she finally met his eyes, he nodded. "Ok." he dropped his hand, stuffing them deep in to his pockets. "Well, like you said you 'know where the cribs are.' I'll come check on you in a few minutes."

Olivia resisted the urge to argue. Instead she turned and walked away, ignorant of the hurt she'd just inflicted. Elliot sighed but headed to Cragen's office; Liv would be safe enough in the precinct.

He pushed open Cragen's door, and closing it, none-too-quietly, behind himself. He adopted a wide stance before the desk, as Don set down some papers he was looking over.

"Is knocking no longer customary?" When Elliot didn't respond, Cragen simply leaned back in his chair. "How is she?"

"Strong. Much stronger than she was this morning." Elliot sighed again, rubbing his eyes with his hands.

"When was the last time you slept?" Don asked with a concerned frown.

"'When was the last time Liv slept?' is what we should be concerned with." Elliot quipped.

"Elliot, you just said Olivia is doing fine. And as much as she might think so, she can't get through it by herself, no matter how determined she is. You can't support her if you can't even hold your eyes open."

"I'll sleep when she's safe."

Don sighed and stood from his chair. "Well," he said, as he moved around his desk. "It's not going to get any safer than a precinct." He patted Elliot on the shoulder and guided him from the office. "As much as you might object, there's not a lot we can do tonight; lab results won't be in till morning. And I got Melinda finalizing her report."

Elliot sensed his hesitation. His eyes tightened as he turned to face Don.

"Something else you're not telling me, Cap?"

Don sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "You should probably hear it from me...I sent Fin and Munch over to Liv's apartment to supervise and-"

"-take statements, yeah, Fin called. But that's not all is it?"

"No, it's not. After they're done there...they're going to arrange a prison transfer. On my instruction."

Elliot merely looked at him for a second. "Wait, what? Prisoner transfer? For _who_? To _where_? " he fumbled, dumbfounded in confusion.

"Lowell Harris. To here." He waited for a second for the tirade to begin.

"Have you lost your mind?"

"Elliot-"

"Have you completely gone insane? To even consider bringing him here-Do you have any idea what this could do to Olivia? Did you even think-!"

"Detective!"

Elliot fell silent, despite the acidic fury pumping through his veins.

"I have considered all possible ramifications from this, _Detective_. But you cannot deny, at this point, he is the only possible suspect-"

"There's nothing _possible _about it! He's been behind bars-"

"Enough with the dramatics, Detective Stabler! Yes, he has been in jail, but can't you entertain the idea for at least a moment, that maybe, _maybe_, he has help? Or perhaps an old cell mate is setting up the stage for Harris' grand finale?"

"'Grand finale' being Olivia dead on the floor!" Elliot yelled in a rage.

"Elliot?" His heart sank as he heard the smallest voice behind him. He dropped his head for the slightest second before turning to face her.

" 'Livia, we just-"

"No, I heard." she interrupted. He saw he was in her own clothes, sort of; her own jeans that followed her every curve, a thin black cotton beater and her own shoes, the comfty ones she preferred to use when she went running, he recalled. Yet she still wore an oversized sweatshirt hoodie. Had the situation not been so serious, he would have smiled, wondering just how many of his jackets she had swiped over the years.

"Liv-"

"He's coming here." she interrupted, with a finality that shattered her resolve. Another tear slid down her cheeks. "I know, I heard." she repeated, gazing wildly at Elliot. _'Why now? Everything was just getting better.'_ she deluded herself.

"Olivia, I-"

"No, no, it's fine, El, really." she fumbled, nodding hurriedly and trying to smile, despite the moisture pooled in her eyes. "Actually, you know what? I'm really tired, and you probably have more paperwork," her voice broke. "to file, to get this-that transfer going, so er- I'm gonna- you know, go lie down for a little while, 'cause I'm exhausted." She practically fled from the squadroom, pulling her sleeves down a little to wipe her eyes as she ran, her breathing erratic.

"Olivia!" Elliot called after her.

"Give her some time Elliot." Cragen encouraged.

Elliot spun to look at him with venom in his eyes. "I think I know what's best for her right now. You've done enough."

After a short pitstop to his locker, Elliot hurried straight to the cribs. _'How could Cragen even consider bringing that piece of crap here? Was it even necessary? Why couldn't they just go to the prison? To bring him here, in the same building, within 500 feet of Olivia...'_ He let out a deep, steady sigh as he tried to calm himself. Olivia would be worked up enough without him yelling about Cragen.

He pushed open the door, expecting to see Liv pacing the floor, or clutching at the window bars, running her fingers through her hair in panic, her eyes puffy and raw from wiping away tears. Darkness? He flicked the light switch, casting a dim glow around the room as the aged bulbs flickered alive. His heart softened at the sight as he approached her, the bunk furthest from the door.

Curled up in a ball, using his coat as a blanket, looking smaller than she ever had, was Olivia. Her hair was covering her eyes, that were still streaked, leading him to suspect she'd cried herself to sleep through her exhaustion. He let out a steady breath as he took his her appearance, slightly dishevelled, and yet still as beautiful as every other day he had known her. He eased himself on to the edge of bed, sitting behind her. He reached over and delicately pulled her hair from her eyes. _'Those beautiful brown eyes.'_ After a moment he stood up again and headed to the nearby cabinet. He pulled a few of the thin blankets from the shelf and returned to Olivia's side. She stirred a little as he lifted his coat from her, causing the cold air to swirl around her. Elliot draped the blankets across her body, tucking the fabric around her. He could hear her breath moving gracefully across her slightly-parted lips, her hands tucked beneath her cheek.

He leant down and placed the lightest of kisses on her cheek. He stood up, stretched, causing his muscles to ache from exhaustion. He looked around and eyed a particular bed, the one between Olivia and the door. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the under-stuffed pillow.

**A/N Really enjoted writing this chapter, but the next one is my absolute favourite. Can't wait to post it for you x Ok, last chapter I mentioned Nickelback, this time it's ****Evanescence- Sweet Sacrific, Whisper, Haunted (Majorly) really remind me of Liv and help with the emotions for her character. Check them out if you like, not sure they're everyone's style of music though lol xx**


	11. Chapter 11 Cribs Caress

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N I'm going to start with an apology. Usually, I always reply to my reviewers with a private message. Unfortunately, recently I've been swept off my feet by college work and have been making do with acknowledgements at the start of chapters. Good news, I am now determined to continue the thanks by message as well. So thank you to maerae93, courtneylovejason and spacekitten2700 for your reviews, and not being put off by the lack of message in reply. lol**

**EOforevertogether, you gave a momentus review for the last chapter. To answer some of your questions, In the car: Elliot tends to outburst and put his foot in it a lot. I thought it would be so easy for him to screw up the stability between him and Liv, but I also wanted a true reaction and I thought he would be so protective of 'Livia that he would get annoyed by her determination to be at fault. Second, transferring Harris: I know that in reality the chances of bringing a prisoner from prison is extremely unlikely. However, bringing Harris back in to the precinct, Liv's 'territory', it would be more threatening to her than if she'd gone to the prison. Not only that, if there had been some big visitation arranged it would be easy for Elliot to prevent Liv seeing Harris. But I really wanted that interaction, so having him at the precinct makes him more accessible. After she overhears them about him being transferred in, I was going to have a big scene in the cribs for them about it. But by now I'm surprised if Olivia has any tears left and I thought it was about time she actually got some rest. lol And she needed rest before this chapter ;)**

**This is it; the EO chapter I've being furiously scribbling down, crossing out, rewriting and reediting for a while now. I did seek advice from a certain *cough, cough* someone lol I was unsure if this boarders on M or not, so forewarning, read at your own discretion if sex scenes aren't your thing. Really hope you enjoy this one, it is quite long but it's an emotional rollercoaster and finally leads to what we've all been waiting for ;) xx (Italics at the beginning are a dream, well nightmare x)**

Chapter 11-Cribs Caress

_She crouched lower. She could hear her heartbeat, so loud she was sure he would hear it, leading straight to her. She froze as she heard him getting closer, leaving a path of destruction behind him. 'No, no, no' she chanted, trying to will it all away. Her heart plummetted as the blinding beam of his flashlight settled on her._

_"Guess whose ass is mine now." he said, with a finality that turned her stomach and made her very being shudder in fear._

An ear splitting scream resonated around the room as Olivia frantically sat up. Her eyes searched the room as she heard movement, blinded by tears and darkness.

"'Livia?" Elliot panicked. The cribs came in to Olivia's swimming view as he flicked on the lights.

Her frantic breathing slowed as she glanced around. No stacks of chairs. No flashlight. No Harris. She let out a deep breath, rubbing her clammy forehead in frustration with herself.

"Liv, are you ok?" Elliot asked, hesitantly standing a few paces away.

After a few fumbling seconds, she forced a smile. "I'm-I'm fine, El, really, I-er-I just had a bad dream."

"I guessed." he said, lowering himself on to the edge of the bed beside her, still monitoring her reaction.

Olivia sighed in frustration. "I'm ok, elliot. I don't need your skepticism."

"I'm not doubting you, Olivia. I'm just concerned." She refused to meet his eyes. "Want to talk about it?" he dared.

"No, I don't! There's nothing to talk about. It was just a dream." she affirmed.

There was a pregnant pause. "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume you were dreaming something that felt pretty real; got you on edge. And judging by your dilated pupils, you're still pretty shook up."

She looked away from him as she sat up, swinging her legs out from the blanket she only just noticed. "Why are you so determined for me to be frightened? Does me being scared give you a reason to be here?"

This time he didn't allow himself to get defensive; one angry detective was enough for this time of night.

"Olivia, you know I'd still be here, even if you didn't want me." Her eyes tightened at his words. She angrily punched at her pillows in a futile attempt to plump them up. When she sighed slightly and her brow eased up, he knew she had conceded to the truth. He decided to push his luck and move closer to her.

"Liv," he called softly, sitting sideways to face her, despite her having her back to him. "'Livia," he said a little more firmly. Finally, she put her pillows down and faced him. She pulled her legs up and crossed them, knowing she probably wasn't going to like what he had to say.

When she met his eyes, he wordlessly unclipped a holster from his ankle, her weapon cradled within it. She smiled as he handed it over, nodding to the pile beside the bed, her towel and resting on top- her empty replacement holster.

Elliot chuckled. "Knew I'd have to give it back sooner or later, huh?"

She met his crystal gaze, tilting her head to the side in a half nod. "I trusted you. Knew it would be 'sooner' rather than 'later'." He nodded and considered as she settled the returned item on her discarded towel.

"There's something else." He pulled a silver item from his pocket, kept safe since he had retrieved it from his locker. He presented it to her.

Her first instinct was the laugh. "You're kidding, right?"

He resisted rolling his eyes at her reluctance as he held the silver knuckleduster out to her. "I know you're a hell of a shot, but in case you do get separated from your gun; it would make me feel better to know you're protected."

She raised her eyebrows. "I know how to throw a punch, El."

"I'm more than aware of how hard you hit," he joked. "Think of this as an insurance policy." he offered.

"You're my insurance policy."

His heart warmed at her words, but her reluctance still bothered him. He tossed the knuckles on the towel beside her bed, knowing he was getting nowhere. "It's not like you're going anywhere, is it?" she asked, trying to make it sound off hand, despite studying his expression for tells.

He stood and walked away as he spoke. "'Livia, you know I have no intention of going anywhere for a very long time." He reached out and flicked off the light. "You'll always be my partner, Liv."

He turned in the dim light, surprised to see her stood right behind him.

"You could at least say that to my face." she joked, a sincere smile crossing her lips.

Elliot hesitated for a second, knocked off kilter a little by her sudden proximity.

"I don't need to say it to your face, Liv." he said, grazing his hand across her cheek. "You know it's the truth; I mean every word I say."

"I know." she said, stepping closer. "And _you'll_ always be _my_ partner."

"I'll always have your back, Olivia." As he actually slid his hands up her back, coming to rest at the small. "_Nothing_ could damage that. _Nothing_ could ever change my mind about you."

With that he leaned in, his slightly parted lips hesitating for less than a second as he inhaled her heavenly delicious scent, and waited to see if she would allow it and respond. His lips pulled in to a slight smile as he felt her lips brush his, briefly and yet so perfect.

Her own hands were creeping up his arms, coming to rest around his neck. There was a sudden urgency as his grip on her hips became a little tighter and her heartbeat pounded. Within seconds their lips were battling for dominance. After a moment, he backed her up against the metal post of one of the bunks. She gasped as the cold metal pressed against her. She clung to Elliot as the demons started to creep in. _'This moment is so perfect, please don't ruin it!'_ she pleaded to herself.

Her pulse ran wild at Elliot's touch, but in a way that made her heart skip, not fight for it's next beat. And she could actually feel her body responding, anticipation building rather than dread. His hands eased under the hem of his black, cotton beater, leaving a trail of tingles where his strong, yet soft, fingers traced. But his warm touch did little to keep the bad thoughts out. She thought of vicious green eyes, and in an instant she broke from the kiss. Instead she wrapped her arms around him and simply pulled him closer. Misreading the hesitation Elliot gently pulled her from the bed post and guided her down on to the bottom bunk. He held his weight above her, careful not to crush her. He leaned in for another kiss, quickly deepening it and moaned against her lips, relishing in his actions that had previously only existed in his fantasies. She kissed him back, desperate for the thoughts to go away and allow her one night to be happy.

She broke from the kiss, gasping slightly as her heart raced, though she was now unsure if that was due to Elliot's gentle kisses down her neck or the leering eyes she could picture in her mind. For once there was no moisture in her eyes, for that she was thankful. But as Elliot's lips gliding back up from her collarbone she knew he was going to read her face like a book, like he always could. But his lips brushed hers once more and she sighed internally, at least he-

He pulled away. _'Oh, no'_ she panicked. He pulled back a little to look at her, a small frown appearing on his brow. "Liv, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong." she insisted, trying to pull him back to her, but he resisted.

"Liv, something _is_ wrong. What is it? Did I do something? Did I-"

"You didn't do anything. Nothing's wrong." She insisted, trying to smile. She leaned up and kissed him, but as she tried to deepen it she could sense his hesitation. He pulled back again slightly.

"Liv," he said, looking extremely hesitant and concerned. "Liv, is this about-"

She quickly placed her fingers over his mouth. "Don't. Please...don't." She knew that was confirmation enough, but she didn't want him to say it.

"Don't worry. Keep going, I can do this." she assured, starting to unbutton his shirt, reaching up to kiss his neck, trying to tempt him to continue. She knew he was battling in his mind, quickly trying to make a decide on what to do. His hand slid along her arm, stopping at her wrist. She was pleased when she heard the throaty moan that slipped from his lips as she ran her tongue across his bottom lip. Elliot's fingers rested on her wrist pulse point. Her heart was thrumming away faster than the wings of a hummingbird.

"No." she heard him say, moving her hand away from his chest, and moving to look in her eyes.

She felt rejection brimming inside her, confused by his utter refusal. "'No'?" she asked, a hurt and confused look in her eyes.

"Not yet." he corrected. Her frown deepened as she merely looked at him. "You're not ready Liv. I know you're strong," he assured. "And I know you want this, I want it too, God I want you so bad," he said, as he pressed his forehead gently against hers, closing his eyes briefly to emphasise his yearning. But when he opened his eyes he began to pull away. "But you're not ready." he said with finality. "I'm not going to push this Liv, I don't want you to be hurting when you're with me."

He made to get up but she tightened her grip, refusing to let him go. "I'm not hurting, El. I'm never hurting when I'm with you."

"And I want to keep it that way." he affirmed. He removed her arm from his neck and sat back up. She scoffed, disbelieving.

"Elliot, if you're scared you'll accidentally hurt me-" she began, already shaking her head.

"I would never hurt you Olivia!" he interrupted, turning to cup her face in his palm as she sat up straight. "I would never raise my hand to you. I never would never upset you." he paused, dropping his hand from her face. Instead he took her hand, daring to push the subject in the direction Olivia had obviously tried to avoid, given the circumstances. "One step at a time, Liv. I know how difficult this is, I can wait if you need to. You don't have to rush to battle this demon. I'm going to be here for a long time to get you through this; you don't need to push yourself in to decisions."

A single tear fell down her cheek as she listened to his words. After a moment she took in a shaky breath and wiped her face. He lifted his hand to tuck her hair behind her ear.

"He didn't rape me." she suddenly proclaimed in a quite voice. She didn't meet his eyes as she waited for a response.

"What?" Elliot asked, surprised by her sudden revelation.

She wiped her eyes once more and snuffled, before looking up, eyes slightly red but dry. "He didn't do it, El." She didn't need to say who she meant; Elliot knew. She tried to force an impossible smile, knowing this small consolation would go a long way for Elliot. He let out a sigh, trying to return her almost invisible smile but he just couldn't. He felt his own eyes getting moist, and his voice getting thick.

"But that's not all, is it?" Their eyes remained locked for what felt like an eternity, before Liv shook her head so slightly it was barely visible. Elliot dropped her hand, leaned his elbows on his knees and dropping his head in to his hands. He ran his hands through his short hair, letting out a deep breath he didn't realise he had been holding. He had dreaded to think of what Olivia had been through, but now, hearing it out loud, confirmed to be true, had more of an impact than he had expected. He listened as she recounted her story.

"There was a riot, sort of-" Elliot remembered reading that in the report. "_He_ took me down to this basement, I shouldn't have let him but there wasn't much I could do. By the time I realised something was wrong it was too late. I asked him what he wanted and he just said "'What every man wants. And you're going to give it to me.'" She wiped her eyes before the tears fell. She pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. Then-" she took a sudden breath as a panic ran through her. She dropped her head to her knees for a second, taking a steady breath in and out, trying to calm herself; _'I've waited so long to tell him, don't back down now.'_ she told herself. She lifted her head again, taking a breath and continuing. "Then I saw the mattress." She heard Elliot take another deep breath.

"He threw me down, tried to hold me down...He pinned me against the-the wall, and..." More tears fell but this time she didn't wipe them away; that's all they were, tears. She wasn't ashamed to cry anymore, she needed to get through this. "I was kicking out and screaming, hoping someone- _anyone_- would hear me and help. But they didn't. I got away from him and I ran- I ran so fast- but- but he found me." She shuddered as she recalled the incredibly vivid nightmare, of Harris hunting her down.

"When he found me, I knew it was over, he was going to win and there was nothing I could do to stop him." She let out a sob, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth. Elliot immediately sat back up and moved closer to her; how could he have dropped her hand? Broke contact when she needed it most? He extended his hand to her, waiting for her permission for contact. She welcomed his touch, clasping his hand as a support. She was surprised to see faint red rings around his eyes. "It's ok, Liv, take your time. I know you can do this." He held her eyes as he affirmed his belief. She nodded and sucked in a dearly needed breath.

"He beat me, my stomach, the back of my legs." Elliot remembered seeing her limp after she got back, and seeing as she refused to tell him anything about it he had always assumed it was to do with her time undercover. "I tried to run- again- and call for somebody- again!-" She let out another sob, and almost in the same instant she felt Elliot's other arm go around her back, rubbing in firm, supportive circles.

"You did good, Liv. You did everything you should have, there was nothing more you could have done." he assured, knowing the blame and guilt that must be swirling around her head. "It's ok, take your time, there's no rush," he repeated from earlier.

She took a moment. The feeling of his warm, protective hand on her back, as though guiding her on. "He, er- he had me handcuffed...to the bars so I couldn't move. And then-" she started to choke up again. She shook her head and determinedly continued. "He unzipped his pants and said 'You bite me...and you're dead!' I didn't know what to do; I couldn't move, I couldn't fight back, and all I could see was him exposing himself in front of me." She frowned, hating the images that she couldn't discard. "I could hear him breathing, panting like some kind of animal," She glanced up at Elliot, who was listening and studying her face intently. "And then he- he tried to pull me towards him, to-to perform a sexual act on him." After years at SVU, she knew Elliot understood what she meant, but she assumed he had already gathered as much. "That's when Fin came running in; he saved me."

She lowered her legs from her chest and took a deep breath. "Lowell Harris sexually assaulted me." she declared, tears no longer running. "Do I wish I could change it? Do I wish I never went down to that basement with him? Wish it never happened?" she asked rhetorically. "Of course I do, but the fact remains; it _did _happen and I _can't _change it. But I can accept it and start to move on. Because, you know what I realised? The more I think about it, and the more I let _him_ rule my life; the more he wins. And I don't want that. He's going to be here tomorrow and..." she paused with a slight frown. "And I'm not sure how I feel about that...but...I'm not shedding anymore tears for that monster; he's took enough from me already."

Elliot's lips twitched in to a smile as he looked on in admiration as Liv-_his_ Liv-smiled. She took a deep breath, no longer weighed down by her demons, no longer carrying around the shadows of that basement.

He had pictured this so often, her trusting him enough to tell him, and everytime he imagined it he saw himself cradling a hysterical Olivia, while she told him all the horrific things she had endured. But he knew she was so strong, so much strong than she gave herself credit for, that she didn't need to be cradled.

"I'm sorry," she said, her expression apologetic. "If I gave you the wrong impression; if all this time you thought I'd been raped. I never intended to give that impression, not at all, I just...wasn't ready." she admitted, reflecting his statement from before. "I was scared- that if I admitted to you what had happened that-" She hesitated and met his eyes. "That you would think of me differently."

"What?" he said in confusion; _'how could she think something like that?'_

"El, what good is a cop who can't defend herself? How can I protect other people if I couldn't protect myself?" she accused.

"Olivia, you were a prisoner, literally. You had no weapon, no backup. There is nothing you could have done, and the fact that you're sitting here right now, talking about all this, proves that you did protect yourself. You always say surviving if the main thing, well you did." He assured. He smiled weakly as she did. She had never looked more beautiful, the dim light creating a subtle glow down one side of her face, her hair slightly ruffled yet sleek and shiny. Her eyes had regained their twinkle.

"I want to say thank you-"

"You don't need to." he interrupted. "Always partners, remember?" he chuckled.

"Always." she said, leaning across to wrap her arms around him in a hug. Yet as she pushed herself up on to her knees and leaned closer to plant a kiss on his cheek, she came dangerously close to his soft lips, a fact neither of them missed. She pulled back, hesitant given his disapproval earlier. But he closed the distance between them, placing his firm hands on the back of her upper thighs and caressing her lips with his own. She responded amorously, her hands going to his neck to hold him close. His strong hands on the back of her thighs lifted her up, pulling her legs from under her and bringing her under him. He settled between her legs, carefully holding himself, their bodies flush. As he passionately kissed her he came to his senses, realising the enormity of the situation.

"Is this ok?" he asked, cautious of pushing her too far. She nodded quickly, unbuttoning his shirt within seconds. She raked her fingers up his broad, muscular back, receiving a husky moan from him in response. He kissed down her collarbone and on to her chest, enjoying how she squirmed beneath him. He continually glanced up, checking she was ok. He placed his hand around her back, gently easing her up to help remove her beater, admiring the beautiful body it revealed. As he tossed it to the floor, alongside her gun, he searched her eyes again, determined to make sure she was comfortable.

"Liv-"

She cut him off with her finger on his lips, causing him to smile. She ducked under and started kissing his neck, her hands clutching at his back. He instinctively thrust his hips against hers, but also against her core. A delicious shudder ran through her but ice also entered her veins. She flashback to the basement, abruptly removing her lips from his neck. _'No, it's ok, it's Elliot. It's only El.'_ She smiled, and brushed her lips against his, dismissing the frown on his brow. Elliot's movements were not rough and painful, but gentle. He did not restrain her in any way, he allowed her freedom to move; he caressed her, admiring the natural honeyed tone to her skin. Despite Elliot behind on top, dominating the situation, she knew she could trust him; she was the one in control.

His hand went to the button of her jeans, but he hesitated, pulling from the kiss for a moment. "Liv?"

She nodded almost immediately, causing him to smile. Her heart fluttered as she felt the button pop open in his dexterous fingers. She bit her lip in anticipation, her eyelids fluttering shut as he eased down her zip. Within seconds he had guided them from her toned legs, his hands following every curve of her muscles, and dropped them to the floor. He quickly pulled off his unbuttoned shirt and added it to the growing pile on the floor. He trailed his fingers back up her smooth leg, chuckling as she wriggled with a smile; he'd never have guessed her to be ticklish.

Her twinkling eyes met his as she took a deep breath, still slightly self-conscious, and unclipped the strap on her bra, but didn't remove it. She could see the flames of lust flare in Elliot's eyes. He leaned down, placing his hand at the small of her back then sliding it all the way up, the unclipped strap easily moving aside to accommodate him. He kissed each of her shoulders, before sliding the black straps from her. He noticed her blush as he finally removed the garment, the slightest tint of pink appearing on her tan skin. He smirked a little, wondering how someone so beautiful could possibly be self-conscious. He carefully lowered himself on to her, feeling a fresh wave of attraction roll over him as he felt her breasts pressed against his broad chest.

"You're so beautiful, Liv." His eyes remained locked with hers, as he studied her face. Every detail- forever locked in his memories. She smiled and moved her hands to his pants, fumbling with the button. Elliot didn't miss it.

"'Livia, if you're not 100% with this-" he his voice still husky with attraction.

"No, I am, really, I am! It's just..." She flushed in embarressment. "This is the first time I've been with someone since..." She trailed off.

"Ok. I understand. We'll go as slow as you need, ok?" he said, tracing her cheekbone with his fingertip.

She nodded and passed a reassured smile. He undid his button for her and pulled down the zip. She pushed the images of Harris doing the same, from her mind. _'This is completely different.'_ Elliot divested himself of his pants, allowing them to fall to the floor; his boxershorts doing little to conceal his growing lust for Olivia. He leaned back to her for another seering kiss, mesmerised how her lips have such an effect on him. He massaged his hands against her breasts, before trawling them downwards, skimming her ribcage and toned stomach, coming to rest at her hips. He hooked his thumbs in the thin fabric of her panties. He tugged one side down ever so slightly, his tongue still dancing alongside Olivia's, exposing more of her gorgeously smooth skin. He could feel her heart pounding against his own, he pulled them down a little more, and then some more, until he slid them off completely.

He reached for his own shorts, breaking from their kiss. He could see the flush in her face, but he wasn't sure if that was apprehension or anticipation. He was surprised when he felt her hand on his own and he feared for a second she had changed her mind; _'...more time if she needs it.'_ he reminded himself. But after a second he felt her hand guiding his own, easing down his shorts. She shivered a little as he pulled away to throw his clothes to the floor, but was soon once again covered by his heat. She placed her hands on his shoulder blades, taking a deep breath to clear her swirling head. She was so caught up in the moment she didn't want to spoil it by being nervous.

Elliot glanced at her before tracing his fingertip down her stomach, circling her bellybutton and then continuing downward. She knew it was his way of preparing her for what he was about to do, to give her a heads up or chance to stop him if she wished. She already felt the moisture that had gathered long before this moment, but as he continued on the agonizingly slow path down her body all she could do was anxiously wait for the contact that could cause sparks.

Her back arched as his fingertip traced the intended destination, smirking slightly at the moisture he had caused. She gasped and moaned quietly in response as he teased her, she knew it wouldn't last long; he was just testing to be sure she was ready. And sure enough, just as she could feel the pressure building inside of her, he removed his hand. He chuckled lightly as she groaned in annoyance by this action. He lined himself up with her body and her eyes met his as she knew what came next.

"Do you trust me?" he asked, knowing the answer already, but needing to hear the words from her.

"I trust you. completely."

He pressed a delicate kiss to her soft lips, but she broke away in a gasp as he pressed in to her. He felt her nails digging in his back as she braced.

She arched her back, feeling a quick pain as he entered her; whether it was because it had been so long or because he was just bigger than anyone she'd been with, she didn't know. But she had a sneaking feeling it was the latter.

He didn't move, watching her response. After a few moments, she relaxed, adjusting to the change within her. "Liv, are you ok? Am I hurting you?" he asked concernedly, cupping her cheek.

She shook her head. "No." She pushed her hand against the small of his back in suggestion, to which he complied. He pulled out, only to bury himself within her once more. She arched her back again, gasping and dragging her nails.

She could already feel the pressure building, amazed by the magnificent man she was with. She clutched at him to hold him close, needing more of him, if that were even possible. El rocked his hips at a ridiculous pace, not slow, but not fast enough for her liking either. She raised her hips to meet him with every thrust, feeling him reaching places inside of her that she had never experienced before. Her gasps and his groans merged together, she could feel his hot breath on her skin as he moved over her.

Before long her moans were getting more difficult to control, her gasps were slipping from her lips more frequently and louder each time. Elliot's thrusts became deeper, faster and more urgent. She felt the precipice of her pleasure approaching, the pressure building as the release became more imminent. Within three more thrusts she toppled over the edge; an explosion rocked through her body, causing her to shudder and contract around Elliot. As Elliot's movement became hard and erratic she could sense he was near too, only for him to release a throaty groan, before collapsing on top of her. They held each other as they rode out the final seconds of their ecstasy.

They lay panting in the bunk. Elliot fell to the side of Olivia, breathing heavily, though a smile played on his lips. Olivia rolled over on to his chest trying to regain composure. She placed her leg across Elliot's, her head resting on his muscular chest. Elliot placed his arms around her, placing a brief kiss on her forehead. He noticed her staring off to the other side of the room.

"Hey," he said, nudging her shoulder slightly. "You ok?"

"Yeah. I'm good. Everything's just...great." she said with a less than subtle smile.

**A/N Well? lol Like it ot not? I spent a lot of time considering whether it was appropriate to have the EO scene right after she told him about Sealview, but the only other alternative was to have the EO after the Harris scene, but then again, my ideas for the Interrogation Room scene relied a little on this scene. Oh well, what do you think? I was also unsure on how emotional to make Olivia during this scene (the Sealview bit). I wanted emotion but on the otherhand she's now trying to be strong and wouldn't crumble as easily as she did a few chapters back. My particular favourites in this chapter is when she declares what he did (I love strong-Liv) , but absolutely "You're my insurance policy." I smiled wider than a cheshire cat when I wrote that. anyway, I'll stop rambling now. lol Change to M or remain T?**


	12. Chapter 12 Explain

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N WOW I had a massive response after the last chapter. I'm so thrilled; it's nice to know everyone liked my EO scene ^_^**

**I want to say thank you to EOforevertogether- You wrote a massive review for the last chapter and gave lot of positive feedback. But you also gave critique which is awesome x**

**I want to thank spacekitten2700, courtneylovejason, maerae93 for your reviews, always smile when i see your names pop up. And maerae93, it's nice to know someone else is swamped in work too lol your review made me smile and helped improve my writing x**

**I want to thank Princess of Pirates (luv the name btw lol) and WinterWhirls for adding me to story favourites, I'm honoured lol.**

**And also to beckstabler8685 for adding an author alert, I'm humbled you want to follow my work.**

**But this time a special thanks goes to WinterWhirls- (Added author alerts-favourite authors- story alerts and several reviews :O wow!) I was having difficulty writing, not exactly Writers Blcok because I knew what I wanted to write but I was struggling to get it down on paper. I wanted to focus so much on EO but the situation doesn't allow it, i.e it's difficult to have EO Luvz when they're discussing dead girls. :/ I was starting to allow the negative thoughts in so I decided to look back at the stats of my story (as a confidence boost)) so I open the site to find loads of alerts. All your alert were an incredible confidence boost at, coincidentally (Rule39 for any NCIS fans too ;)) , when I needed it most. You spurred me on to finish another chapter that I am very pleased with given my reservations at the start xx**

**Ok, so this chapter is more involved, discussing results and reports, thinking over how (whoever it is lol) is doing what they are, ie how did they get in, any evidence they left etc.**

Chapter 12- Explain

Elliot sat at his desk; he was letting Liv sleep in; she needed rest and she couldn't argue about not needing sleeping if she already was, he figured. He placed his hands behind his head, smiling broadly as he recalled the night before. Her deliciously smooth skin. Plump lips. Beautiful brown eyes. Million dollar curves. Everything he had desired for _so_ long. He let his mind think over the faces she had pulled; causing him to smile at the memory that he had caused that pleasure. He stopped himself before he needed another cold shower. The first had been when he'd woke to find Olivia's naked body still sprawled over his own naked body; and he knew it would be inappropriate for him to share his visible excitement with his collegues in the squadroom.

With a heavy sigh, he rubbed his face and stood up before the board pinned with photos; his fantasising would not help anyone but himself. His eyes landed on the image of Olivia, lying on the floor, her eyes closed. She was pale, even through her honey-tanned skin. He felt a surge of guilt.

"I'm sorry," he said, intently focused on the image. "I'll protect you this time. I won't let anyone hurt you."

"Aw. I had no idea you cared so much." came a sarcastic voice.

Elliot spun as Fin and Munch entered the squadroom, wrapped up in coats, gloves and hats.

"You worked the nightshift too?" Elliot asked.

"Hell yeah," Fin proclaimed, as if it was obvious. "You think I'm letting him sit his boney ass down when some creep's tailin' Baby-girl?" he asked incredulously, ignoring the raised eyebrows from Munch. Elliot chuckled as Munch headed for coffee.

"Want some?" he offered. He may as well have been asking if they wanted a cavity search.

"Definitely not." Elliot curtly responded, returning to his desk. Munch looked towards Fin. Fin merely frowned, looking at Munch as though he'd gone insane.

"My insides are frozen but I still ain't drinkin' that crap!"

Munch shrugged. "Suit yourself." he muttered.

Elliot turned to Fin, who was removing his extra layers. "Anything helpful come from last night?" he said hopefully.

"You kiddin' me?" Fin responded, finally pulling off his gloves and rubbing his hands together. "We scoped everyone in Liv's building, no one saw a thing. Little old lady thought she heard somethin'-"

"And then proceeded to tell us of the couple in 4F," Munch interrupted, returning to his desk with a coffee mug. "Apparently, they're very vocal in every sense of the word." He looked at Elliot over his glasses as he pulled off his hat, coat and gloves.

"Down, old man," Fin chided with a look of disgust. "Except there was no couple in 4F, it ain't even been rented out yet."

"So she's crazy." Elliot sighed, disappointed.

"More cats than pigeons in Central Park." Munch replied, sliding in to his seat and reclining.

Elliot would have smiled but instead he tried not to tense at the reference. "So it was a big waste of time."

"You tellin' me." Fin frowned.

"Not a total waste." Cragen said, striding in alongside Melinda. "I got the forensics back from Olivia's apartment and Melinda here has her finalised report about the victim."

Elliot immediately jumped up, eager for answers, eliciting a comment from Munch. "Someone's bright-eyed today, even without my miracle coffee."

Elliot ignored Munch and looked towards Melinda. "Well?"

She didn't even need to open the file she had in her hand. "Martine Olivia, 36, killed by blunt force trauma to the back of the head; significant damage to the parietal and occipital lobes of the brain. This led to intercranial bleeding and subdural hematoma; an open fracture of course."

Elliot gave her a blank look, most words he understood, but then others he didn't. "Open fracture?"

"The fracture broke through he skin, consistent with the volume of blood found on her clothing."

"Could it be possible that the perp intended to do the same to Liv but didn't manage enough force?" He asked, seriously hoping he was wrong.

"Absolutely not," Melinda confirmed, allowing Elliot's stomach to unclench. "The amount of force put in to this blow couldn't possibly have been accidental; whoever did this is intended to kill this woman, if they wanted to do the same to Olivia they would have. Their plan was definitely _not _to kill Olivia that night."

He let out a heavy sigh. "Ok."

Melinda continued. "She severly beaten; almost every inch of her skin was covered in bruises, particularly the genitals. All were inflicted post mortem, as if that's a conselation. Only her face was left untouched, my guess is they wanted you to be able to indentify her."

"Wait, this woman was a hooker right? Is it possible she stepped out of line and her pimp was sending a message? Maybe Olivia collared him for some reason a while back."

"Nah, I doubt it." Fin disagreed. "If a pimp wants rid of one of his girls he'd _target _her face, not avoid it; hooker can't work if her merchandise is all smashed up."

Elliot nodded, "So what about the rape?"

"Overkill; she was already dead, I don't know what they hoped to achieve." Melinda shrugged.

"Well, Doc, after more than 25 years on the force not even I have been able to get inside the mind of psychopaths."

Melinda smiled a little at Munch's comment, glancing at him briefly.

"Wait to go Genius," Fin responded. "But I think Stabler was after somethin' a bit more scientific."

"Come on guys, stay focused." Elliot chided.

"I'm determining a foreign object." she said.

"Wait, a second, you don't sound too certain there Doc." Elliot frowned.

"Well, there was spermicide present but I doubt the rape was committed physically by the perp. My guess is he used a sex toy of some kind."

"And they say romance is dead." Munch muttered.

"So this guy would rather not use his own junk?" Fin asked rhetorically. "I'm no Huang but I'm guessin' that shows insecurity issues."

"Oh, so now you're the genius?" Munch joked, again looking over his glasses at Fin, who merely sarcastically tilted his head in response.

Elliot glanced at them in anger but otherwise ignored them. "Ok, so we got no DNA from that. What else you got?"

Melinda put aside Elliot's bluntness. "I looked at her liver, definite signs of alcohol abuse. And her lungs indicate a chronic cough, most likely from sleeping outside in the cold so frequently, it's common among homeless bodies that get brought in."

"Homeless?"

"Most probably; she was dirty, not just from the attack, her clothes were filthy. Her hair was washed but her scalp shows signs of neglect; she had lice. And despite being painted, her toenails were overgrown."

"Wait, can't you get trace evidence from under her fingernails?" Cragen hopefully asked.

"I tried but her fingernails had be roughly clipped short, they even bled."

Elliot cursed under his breath; one thing he hated was an educated criminal.

"I did get something, but I doubt it helps to find who did this; I found a crystalised substance on her skin. I had it tested; it's a cleaning agent more commonly used to purify water, like Chlorine, but unscented."

"That don't make sense." Fin remarked.

"Well it's frequently used in outdoor water features; she could have washed herself in a public fountain." Melinda said, disregarding the look on disgust on Fin's face.

"What a delightful woman, I'm sure she had a successful business going." Munch muttered but then continued, setting his legs crossed on his desk. "I made a call to a friend,"

"Any particular friend or another crackpot from a conspiracy site?"

Munch ignored fin. "He's a cop in Washington-"

"The capital; how convenient." Fin muttered.

"-he ran our vic for me; came up with a second file."

"You mean that other-_other _file you're always bangin' on about?" Fin remarked.

Munch ignored him with a sideways glance, speaking a little louder. "He said he couldn't find an address or a bank account-"

"Well, you don't need a bank account if you got no money." Fin interrupted.

"Finally something productive." Munch muttered, causing Fin to glare at him. "Only thing she does have is a criminal record; arrested several times in her late teens for public disturbances, but it was more likely so she could get a place to sleep at night. My friend said she was so determined to be arrested she once punched an officer when he informed her he was only giving her a caution. Nothing since."

Melinda nodded. "Makes sense; I think she was probably a runaway; came to New York and got caught up in prostitution. Her dental work is poor but not terrible; there are no rotated teeth, suggesting she had a brace as a child. Yet there are needle marks between her toes, toxicology detects presence of Heroin; I assumed from the scars on her feet that it was long-term addiction."

Elliot let out a deep sigh, folding his arms across his broad chest. "Fantastic; a dead hooker, a trashed apartment and still no closer to figuring out who this dirtbag is or what he wants."

"Sorry, but that's all I've got for you. In the meantime, I've got a morgue full of bodies that aren't going to investigate themselves." She said, but a slight frown of concern. "Keep me posted?" she asked John, who gave her a curt nod. After a moment she departed.

She turned on her heel and strode out. Olivia strode through the other door as Melinda turned the corner and disappeared from sight.

"Was that Melinda?" she asked, stuffing her arm in to the over-sized sweater.

"She brought her finalised report." Cragen confirmed, he handed her his copy as she muttered to Elliot.

"Why didn't you wake me?" she muttered to Elliot as she flipped open the file.

Elliot shrugged, his arms still folded across his chest. "You needed to sleep."

Olivia sighed as her eyes skimmed over the file, picking out certain words to fill her in. She didn't like what she was; but determinedly she reminded herself, this wasn't her fault.

"We were just about to go over the lab results," Elliot said.

"Mhmm," Liv mumbled, heading towards the board, though she didn't stop reading. The others followed her, standing in a half circle around the board.

Cragen handed Elliot the file with a significant look. "I've got a few calls to make." Elliot resisted the urge to sigh and curse as he realised what Don meant.

"Fine." El shortly replied, once again showing his disapproval of the situation; that animal didn't deserve to leave his cell at all; if it was up to Elliot he would be on 23-hour lockdown. Cragen disappeared to his office, with a pissed look from Munch and Fin; Elliot assumed they weren't too happy either.

"Ok, so, the lock-" he hesitated, Liv was still frowning down at the file from Melinda. "Liv,"

Her head shot up. "Huh? Wha-oh, yeah, sorry, I'm listening." She closed the file and placed it on her desk.

Elliot didn't mind if she was listening or not, she could always read the file herself if she preferred; but he didn't want her burying herself in the details of a female victim's attack and murder when it was suppose to symbolise her.

"CSU said the lock was untouched, so the perp must have had a key." Elliot read, before turning to Liv. "You had your locks changed,"

"Yeah, but- that doesn't explain how they got a key." she replied.

"Who'd you give keys to?" Fin asked.

"No one, I only have two keys, mine and-and El's." she said, blushing slightly.

"Well, I'm hurt, Olivia," Munch joked. "You had a slumber party and you didn't invite me? Shame, I have a HelloKitty sleeping bag." Fin rolled his eyes but Olivia smiled.

"Actually John," she said, her embarressment abating at his humour. She glanced at Elliot who was chuckling to himself, ignoring the glares from Fin. "When I oversleep, Elliot can let himself in and get my lazy ass out of bed."

Elliot couldn't remember a single time he had done that; but then again he wouldn't mind if she was dressed how she was this morning, or more accurately, _not_ dressed. He smirked.

"What's got you all-smiles, Stabler?" Fin accused with suspicious eyes.

"Anyway, getting back on topic," El dodged. "You said you lost your key at the gym?"

"Yes, " she confirmed. "I put all my things in my locker but when I got home I was missing my key; I assumed it had somehow slipped off the keychain." Elliot remembered, he'd had to drive across town to let her in to her _own_ apartment and get a copy cut for her.

"What you thinkin', Stabler? Someone snuck in while she was benchin' and took her key?" Fin asked with a frown. "A bit unlikely if you ask me."

Elliot shook his head. "This guy is willing to kill to get to Olivia, sneaking in to a gym is not going to be a big deal." He glanced in concern at Olivia; realising how harsh he words could be taken. But she hadn't batted an eyelid, she was simply shaking her head.

"There's no way to check that; my gym only has security cameras in the cafeteria and that's only because one of the staff was stealing things."

"That's it?" elliot asked incredulously.

"They said it invaded people's privacy." she replied.

"Finally, someone who agrees with me." Munch muttered.

"Yeah, they must be few and far between, huh, Munch?" Fin retorted.

"Anyway," Liv poitedly said, hoping to avoid a dispute. I was intending to change the locks but I had the new lock and set of keys on the table beside the door for almost five days before I got round to installing it."

"How many new keys?" Fin asked.

"Three, I had one obviously, El did and I left the other one-" she hesitated.

"What?" Elliot asked, a frown appearing.

"I left the other one one the table beside the door incase I lost mine." she finished.

"And?" he asked in confusion.

She thought back, to when she'd first stumbled in to her apartment, no key on the table. "And the key-"

"-Wasn't there." Elliot anticipated, sighing. "Ok, so they got in through the door," Elliot began, deciding not to dwell on the mistake, or Liv's mistake as she would assume it to be. "Techs said, besides the bedroom, the apartment was pristine; no prints, nothing was moved elsewhere."

"No prints?" Liv asked in confusion. "They tore up my bedroom! What did they do it with, their elbows? There has to be prints."

"They had gloves." Elliot said, pissed by how lame that excuse sounded. "Apparently 'the residual powder of their gloves had a molecular structure indicative of a high end product'."

"Ok." Olivia said slowly, wrapping her head around what he had just said.

"A criminal has access to that kind of equipment and you're telling me there's no government conspiracy?" Munch asked rhetorically, shaking her head.

"Man, what does rubber gloves have to do with the President?" Fin asked with a complete look of disbelief.

"I'll have you know-" Munch began.

"Moving on," Elliot cut him off. "We did find hairs-"

"DNA?"

"Getting to it, Liv." he promised, seeing her apologetic look, with a slight smile on his face for her eagerness.

"One hair was a match to our victim, Martine Olivia, the second was unknown. Relatively short and dark brown, almost black, in colour." Liv's chest gave a squeeze as she thought of _his_ hair- short, almost black. "Lab guys said both hair's were in the Telogen Phase, er-" Elliot fumbled over the science as he read the relevant passage. "Ah- says here the hair fell out naturally, not pulled out; suggests they could have been transferred to Liv's apartment from the suspect."

Olivia cleared her throat, trying to maintain her composure. His hair was the right colour, right length, in her apartment. _How could that be?_ she questioned.

"What about the paint? Is there anyway they could use that to track-" Munch began.

"Paint?" Liv interrupted. She looked from Munch to Elliot, who was now staring daggers at John. "What paint?" Elliot hesitated, rubbing his jaw. "Elliot, what paint?" she asked more firmly. She noticed his grip tighten on the file. She snatched it from his hand before he stop her.

"Liv, don't!" But it was too late, she had found the photograph of her bed, the mattress removed and exposing what was hidden beneath.

"This-this is at my apartment?" her eyes still intent on the photo, reading the words that were directed, like blades, at her.

Elliot sighed, taking the file back; though she didn't argue, she'd seen the photograph now. "Yes." his tone full of confession. "Under your mattress."

"I can see that Elliot! Why didn't you tell me?" she flared, turning her blazing eyes upon him.

"There wasn't a right time." he said simply. He saw her thinking everything over in her head at a hundred miles an hour. He was right; the car trip was filled by them arguing, sort of; the night before had been filled with them making up and "hey, someone wants you dead" isn't the best way to hello in the morning.

"See what you gone done now?" Fin said to Munch.

Before Munch could defend himself, or roll his eyes, Olivia was speaking. "No, it's fine, really, I'm fine, let's keep going." She took a breath, wiping her forehead, feeling the heat that had gathered. "John's right, is the paint trackable?"

"Not in the least; commerical product, available at any hardware store throughout New York, probably further."

"Great." Fin muttered. "This guy may be a dirtbag but he's been learnin' enough to cover his tracks."

"Unluckily for us." John muttered back.

Cragen opened his office door and leaned out, "John, I need you in here." Then disappeared back inside.

John sighed and stood up. "All I need; the night shift with Tutuola and then a lecture from the Boss." As he headed towards the office, Elliot turned towards Fin.

"Hey, Fin, think you could go er-" Elliot suggested "-check something." he finished lamely.

Fin resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Sure. I'll go do some filin'. Or take a leak. Or step outside. Or go for my lunch break. Any of those 90s cop show cliches good for you?"

Elliot shrugged as Fin stood up and made to leave. "Whatever works for you."

"Great." Fin muttered as he left the room.

"El, what is it?" Olivia asked, trying to catch his eye, when she finally did, she knew it was bad. "What?"

"They tested your panties." he said, noticing a minor flush appear in her cheeks.

"And?"

"They got DNA." Olivia's eyes dropped from his. "They found semen, Liv; not on all of them but...I guess that doesn't make much of a difference." He watched her intently, seeing her chest rise and fall rapidly. He glanced in to the file, making absolutely sure he'd read it right.

"The DNA they pulled...was a match. To-"

"Harris." she finished, knowing exactly what was coming as soon as he had brought up the subject. She waited for what felt like an eternity for him to confirm what she already knew.

"Yeah."

She wrapped an arm around her stomach, gasping for breath, before covering her mouth with her hand. Within seconds Elliot brought the trashcan to her and she grabbed it from him just in time to empty the contents of her stomach in to it. _'Great, first I cry all over him, now I'm puking in front of him. Way to go, Liv.'_ she thought to herself sardonically. _'How sexy is this? He's going to run a mile now.'_

She felt his strong hand rubbing circles on her lower back. He had dropped his file, carefully pulling her hair from her face. "It's ok, Liv, it's ok. Take a breath," he encouraged, seeing her gag as there was so little to throw up.

After several long seconds the tightness in her throat passed and she sucked in a hugely needed breath. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be silly, Liv, it's perfectly ok; I've done worse in front of you right?" he joked, trying to make her feel better. She half heartedly smiled, taking a few more shallow breaths to compose herself.

After a few moments she let out a sigh. "I'm ok now, my stomach-I just-"

"You don't have to explain." was all he said.

She shared a smile with him. She leaned away from the trashcan and grabbed Munch's coffee mug from his desk. She took a mouthful and swirled it round her mouth; anything other than the taste in her mouth was an improvement. She spat the coffee in to the trashcan also; it may have changed the taste but that didn't mean she was willing to drink it.

"Well it's nice to know someone appreciates my coffee." Munch called, striding from Cragen's office. Olivia thought for a second he'd upset him, but he passed her a sly wink as he reached for the trashcan. "Allow me." He headed, she assumed, to janitorial, as Elliot turned to her.

"When was the last time you ate?" he asked, no hint of humour in his voice.

"Er-"

"We're going to lunch." he said, giving her no chance to argue, unsatisfied that she couldn't even remember when she'd eaten.

"But-"

"I'm driving." he said, already reaching her his jacket. She looked at him but then returned his warm smile. "Come on, I'll buy your desert." She couldn't miss the seduction in his voice, it sent a warm tingle down her spine as she recalled his firey blue eyes from last night.

"Well, how could I say no to that?"

**A/N I included a bit of science in this chapter (Science nerd here lol) but I tried to keep it as understandable as possible for those who don't study textbooks ^_^ I love the Fin/Munch in this chapter, I write what amuses me (Those you've seen the quotes on my Profile will understand what I mean) and how can Munch not amuse someone lol**

**I already mentioned finding it difficult to put appropriate EO in to this chapter, but the next chapteer sees a nice scene for them, a bit of EO filler leading up to the scene with Harris. Do you think I over did Liv's reaction to Elliot's revelation about the lab results? When I write it seems to stream straight from my head to the paper and it wasn't until editing that I considered how plausible it was. Oh well, hope you liked it. x**

**(If there's anything you're confused about feel free to message me and I'll gladly explain it more clearly for you.)**


	13. Chapter 13 Hunger

From Heaven To Hell

**Ok, thank you to courtneylovejason for your review. And to lou3174, i'm glad you're enjoying it and it's nice to see a new name pop up. Again, EOforevertogether, made me smile as always- And I can sympathise, I often get nagged by mum being online so much. ^_^ She doesn't understand how much of a pull EO has for me lol Also a thank you to spacekitten2700, I'm glad you liked it. For those who saw spacekitten's review, (I guess it's only fair you all know), I'm not giving a definite answer on who it is because that would spoil the surprise, but keep an eye out for the cop, Max, he might just show his face again ;)**

**A special thanks goes to lou3174 (Author alert-Fave Author-Story alert- Fave story) It made me smile so much to see a new name pop up and get involved in my story. And also to maerae93 for adding to Favourite author lol**

Chapter 13- Hunger

Olivia hadn't given food a thought over the past day or two. Besides the odd candybar from her locker, she'd barely eaten, which probably accounted for her tiredness. Or at least she didn't until the enticing aromas wafted under her nose.

"Liv?" She looked down at Elliot who had already taken his seat.

"Sorry." she said, sliding in to the seat opposite, hastily grabbing a menu.

"Hungry?"

"Not really." she lied, knowing from his smirk he had just heard the rumble that erupted in her stomach.

A waitress soon appeared with a chipper smile. "Hi. I'm Christy and I will be your server. Are you ready to order?"

"Yes." Olivia eagerly replied, scanning the menu. "I will have a portion of cheesy fries, with extra cheese. A baked potato with beans, cheese and colslaw. And also a side of potatoe wedges." She set the menu down and smiled with at the waitress as she furiously scribbled down the order.

"And to drink?"

"A large strawberry milkshake with cream and sprinkles." Liv said without hesitation. The waitress raised her eyebrows a little before turning to Elliot.

"Sir?" she asked as she turned a fresh page in her notepad.

Liv watched him non-plussed by her momentus order.

"Er- just a burger, fries and coffee please."

The young girl walked away with a less than chipper smile, massaging her wrist.

"And you said you weren't hungry?" Elliot asked doubtfully.

Olivia shrugged and smiled at him. "It'll be nice to have a full stomach again."

A silence fell between them. _'It should not be this awkward,'_ Liv thought, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"I was thinking," Elliot began abruptly, taking her by surprise. "You're going to need new clothes, for the time being at least- and I thought, if you wanted, you know, you don't have to but if you did want-"

"Elliot," she interrupted. "Get to the point."

"We're going shopping." he said with a smile.

"What? No, no, no I know I'm busting your bank as it is for lunch and I don't want to throw your money away when you have to pay for the kids-"

"Olivia, I wouldn't offer if I didn't mean it. And I have a bit of expendable income now, I mean, I rent a reasonable apartment, and as for the kids, Dickie and Lizzie are earning their own income now."

"I know, Liz mentioned her new job." Liv nodded.

"Then what's the problem? The only other alternative is you wearing what you've got on for- God knows how much longer."

She considered. She'd showered this morning but the prospect of wearing her clothes for a second day didn't seem particularly appealing.

"I guess so." she considered. "But I _will_ pay you back afterwards."

He shrugged; she'd pay back but he'd take her for lunch or pay for Chinese, so that actually she hadn't paaid him back at all. But what Liv didn't know, couldn't hurt her. Well, that's what he always assured himself.

The waitress returned with a circular tray, resting on which was Olivia's order. After setting the various plates around Olivia she turned to Elliot again.

"I'll be right back with your order." She shared a knowing smile with Elliot as they saw Olivia grab at her fork, hesitating on what to eat first. As the waitress left, olivia glanced at Elliot and hastily lifted a single fry from the tray and nibbled on the end of it.

"Olivia," Elliot said with a sigh. "You're starving; don't bite at your food like a rabbit. I've seen you naked; you don't have to worry about me seeing you eat." he joked.

Olivia smirked a little, but there was no room for butterflies in her stomach when she had so much to eat. She stabbed her fork in to the fries and shovelled a mouthful. Elliot chuckled as she chewed with a full mouth.

A plate appeared before Elliot as the waitress returned. "Everything to your...liking?" she hesitated, noticing Olivia's full mouth. A slight blush appeared in Liv's cheeks but she merely offered the girl a thumbs up as she strode away again.

Before long Olivia fell back in her chair, surveying the empty plates and rubbing her belly. "It's going to take me weeks to run those calories off." she mumbled.

"What, you mean you don't wake up this perfect?" Elliot joked. He wiped his hands with a napkin, disregarding half his burger and a few fries; in turth he hadn't actually been hungry. But he knew Liv wouldn't have eaten if he hadn't. And it gave his mind a distraction to stop it wondering like it had back in the precinct.

The young girl- sophia, her name tag read- was piling the dirty plates in to a trolley. She looked at Olivia as she did it.

"Lady, i don't know how you stay so thin."

Olivia self consciously ran her hand across her toned stomach, a slight bump from her large meal.

"I have her on a vigurous exercise program." Elliot laughed.

"Are you kidding? I would have to work all night to shift that." the girl said skeptically.

"All night." Elliot mused with a smirk.

The young girl blushed deeper red than Elliot had ever thought possible as she realised what he meant and hurried away. Olivia shook her head at him.

"Congratulations, you just mentally scarred her." she joked.

"What can I say?" he asked rhetorically. "You made an impression on me."

Olivia blushed and decided not to tell him she had thought the same about him. "I'm going to nip to the bathroom; try not to cause too much trouble until I get back." She joked, pushing her chair back.

"Yes, ma'am." he teased. "I'm only a bad boy around you anyway." he added with a wink.

Olivia resisted the urge to roll her eyes and merely passed him a smile as she sidled away. Elliot was deliberately bating her but she didn't have time for it. Within a few hours she'd be dining with her devil, so to speak.

xXx

She and Elliot stepped in to the clothes store.

"Ok," Elliot began as though they were embarking on a mission, basket in hand. "Now, I've been shopping with girls before," Olivia rolled her eyes. "But I doubt you're like my girls-"

"Oooo!" Olivia almost squelled, disappearing through the row of aisles.

"Or perhaps not." Elliot muttered, taking off after her. "Liv?" he searched.

Less than a minute or two, she reappeared, dropped a few sets of jeans in to the basket and simple said "These." before vanishing again.

Elliot's head almost swam in confusion. _'I can chase down perps yet I'm lost between skirts and shirts.'_ he thought in irony. _'She was here a second ago,'_ he thought, scanning the shop for her.

At one point he spotted another guy who was obviously being dragged around by _his_ girlfriend too. He passed Elliot a sympathetic smile. _'Wait, is Liv my girlfriend?'_ After having a wife for so long the idea of a girlfriend seemed...strange. And they hadn't talked about it- he hoped she knew it wasn't a one-night stand, he never intended that. But then again he hadn't expressed wanting anything more either. He added it to his mental to-do list.

He looked around; the one place he hadn't looked for Liv was the underwear section; he'd been avoiding it. He wasn't one of those men who could rip panties from a woman and yet go bright red when surrounded by them on hangers. After living most of his adult life in a house full of women, besides Dickie, women's underwear was not something that flustered him. On the other hand, a middle aged man trawling through the women's underwear section wuold not look right. He decided to brave the sea of bras and panties. Within seconds a group of girls had spotted him, and hurried past him giggling.

Besides this, he spotted Olivia, her back to him. He smiled as he headed over, spotting her full basket, and summised she'd given up finding him a while ago. He noticed her staring down at the rack in front of her.

"If you were a guy I'd have to arrest you; staring like that." he joked.

But as he stepped beside her, he knew something was wrong; her arms were wrapped around his stomach, clutching at her sides. He could see her fingertips turning white from the pressure she was exerting. He looked down at what her eyes were intent on. A bra and panties set. Not offensive in anyway. The orange fabric was a little frayed where someone had tried to remove the security tag but besides that- his intuition clicked.

_'Orange,' _he thought with a sigh. _'Jumpsuit orange.'_ He decided to save her from her own thoughts. "I like this colour."

She jumped a little and turned to look at him. "Huh?" she snuffled a little, trying to hide it, and looked around to see no one else had noticed her unusual behaviour.

"I said, i like this colour." he repeated, pointing to the deep blue one beside the offensive one. "Completments your beautiful skin tone," he complemented (Having remembered Lizzie say it once when they'd gone shopping together) , gently brushing her cheek.

"Oh. Yeah." Liv said as if surprised to see rows of underwear in front of her.

She plucked one from the rack and deposited it in to her basket.

"I think that's everything." she muttered, absentmindedly mudging the basket with her foot.

xXx

Munch was sitting at his desk, scribbling idle notes down on a notepad. He had been instructed to _'hold down the fort'_. Which basically meant, he was the only one from their team to be in the squadroom. Within second he heard footsteps and Fin's voice.

"And I'm gonna shoot you in your ass if you don't shut it!" Fin threatened. As they turned the corner, a man in an orange jumpsuit came in to view, held at the elbow by Fin and stalked on either side by armed guards. He was handcuffed, his ankle shackles removed and had a satisfied smirk plastered on his lips. As they strode in to the squadroom Cragen brought up to rear.

"Oh goodie, our house guest has arrived." John mumbled, lifting his legs from his desk and striding to meet Fin. Cragen guided the guards to the interrogation room.

"How was the ride down?"

"Just peachy." Fin glared.

"You mean you didn't take the time to catch up with your former collegue?" John joked.

"Man, you're lucky Cragen let you stayed here; I don't see why we had to drive up there."

"Cragen had to sign forms at the prison." John reasoned.

"Maybe I should be more specific." Fin retorted. "Why did _I_ have to drive up there?"

He dropped in to seat and picked up his phone.

"Aw, Fin you're sweet, but you don't need to call your boyfriend anymore; he's only around the corner now."

"Funny." Thought Fin expression was less than amused. "I'm calling Stabler; I said I'd let him know when Creepy CO arrived."

**A/N Little explanation- Liv told Elliot about Sealview and that gave her the strength to take the biggest step. However, even though I promised a lighter chapter, Olivia is unlikely to recover overnight, so skipping her feelings just to fit in EO wouldn't be practical. On the other hand, I tried to put as much humour in as I could to lighten the mood a bit. I know getting upset over underwear is a bit silly, but it's what they represent that affected her. Did anyone spot the metaphor I used? ;) (*Hint* Elliot said dark blue was better than orange. If orange represents Harris, any ideas what the blue represents? lol) And finally, I had to fit Harris in at the end just to lead in to the next chapter (Liv confronts him, or tries too...) And of course praise to Munch ^_^ xx (Apologies for any typos, school work was massive this week lol ok it is every week so this chapter was very hastily edited literally before posting.)**


	14. Chapter 14 Date With Darkness

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N Ok, so I was supposed to post this last night but revision got in the way. (Cramming for January exams :/) I would have quickly posted it yesterday but I hadn't spellchecked it; I'd rather post it fully completed late rather than full of typos just to meet a deadline.**

**Thanks to spacekitten2700, maerae93, courtneylovejason, lou3174, Shelby and Kristy6 for your awesome feedback. Especially the guesses as to who it could be; I'm sure I've driven maerae93 up the wall haha x I also want to say thank you to Olivia26 for adding a story alert. A special thanks to svuobsessed2011, who added a story alert, author alert, added to favourite stories and favourite author. Made me smile so much. It's so nice that even though we're quite a few chapter in, new names are still popping up and reading xx**

**This chapter is the Harris confrontation in interrogation. I really struggled when deciding just how aggressive I wanted this chapter to be. And although Liv's trying to be strong, as said before, you can't recover overnight. I made Harris a bit more... ok a lot more aggressive that the show showed him to be. i always thought he's one of those guy to have explosive anger, especially when Liv "struck a nerve" in Undercover. lol This chapter's slightly shorter than my other chapters, because I'm so verbose, as I split it up from the next chapter.**

Chapter 14- Date With Darkness

Olivia's heart pounded in her ears as she took more steps, bringing her closer to the squadroom. To interrogation. To _him_.

"Liv," Elliot said, striding after her. "You're worked up; you need to calm down." he instructed, finally stepping beside her sepite her hurried pace.

"I'm calm, Elliot." she lied, unsure if he could hear the jackhammer pummelling away in her chest.

"Like Hell." Elliot muttered.

Within a minute she had burst through the door and watched through the window, like an enclosure at the zoo, watching the animal within. She barely noticed Cragen, who was beside her with his hands in his pockets. Munch and Fin were behind her with Elliot, having seen her storm in.

She clenched her hands in to fist, folding her arms across her chest. He looked so normal, so average. Not the monster she had built him up in her head to be. He critical eyes examined him. He sat behind the table, a satisfied smile still on his lips, a twinkle in his eyes. He had removed the top half of his jumpsuit, tying the sleeves around his waist. He wore a white tshirt with short sleeves, that did nothing to conceal his bulging biceps. The thin material also did little for his broad chester, all the lines and definitions shown clearly. He was more muscular than she remembered, but then again, there was a lot of time to bench press when you were in prison.

She jumped as a hand slide on to her shoulder. She looked up to see Elliot's reassuring smile, searching her eyes for answers, as his soft fingertips massaged her collarbone. She turned back to the window. Harris was staring straight ahead, and while her rational side tole her he couldn't see her, she was sure he knew she was there and was staring her down, like a lion to his prey.

"Has he said anything?" she asked.

"Not since he arrived." Fin said, receiving a look from Munch.

"Only that he wouldn't speak to anyone," Cragen said, taking a heavy pause. "Except you."

Olivia spun and headed for the door. "Liv, wait," Elliot called, hot on her trail. She wretched the door open.

After a second she felt him try to grab her wrist. She pulled her arm away before his strong fingers could close around it. But as she reached for the door handle of Interrogation, he almost threw himself between her and the door, or rather what was behind it.

"Olivia, I know this is important to you but I think you're rushing in to this."

"That's not your decision, El." she said, trying to sidestep him.

He placed his hands on her upper arms to hold her still. "I know that. It's your decision, I just- I don't want to see you make the wrong decision." _'I don't want to see you throw yourself in the line of fire,'_ he added in his head.

She looked up at him for a second. "El, I know how much you care, and you've helped me _so_ much already," She took his hands from her arms. "But this is something I have to do alone."

She could see his thoughts battling; trying to decide if he should argue or not. But then he squeezed her hands and sighed.

"I know. But I will be right here when you come back out." he insisted.

"I know." she said and he stepped aside.

xXx

Olivia closed the door, releasing the deep breath she had taken.

"It's about time," came a raspy voice she had heard so often in her head. "I thought you were going to stand behind the glass all day."

She knew he was trying to scare her; he hadn't known she was there at all. She finally looked up and saw the leering eyes she had remembered.

"What?" he taunted. "Miss me that much? If you'd like, i'd gladly give you a hug. Or perhaps a bit more." he added, making her skin crawl by trawling his eyes across her body, a disgusting smile on his lips.

_'Stay focused,'_ Liv chanted in her head. She decided professionalism was her best bet. "Lowell Harris," she hated how his name resonated in her ears. She sat down opposite him, her seat a little further back than usual. "You've been brought here today-"

"I know why I'm here." he interrupted, feigning impatience.

"And what else do you know?" she challenged, hoping he'd tell her what she needed so she could leave.

He scrutinised her for a second, his head tilted slightly to the side. She held her posture, refusing to squirm under his gaze. "I know you're not sleeping. I know you can't get me out of your head." She shifted in her seat, now uncomfortable by the truth he was speaking. "And I know left my mark on you, as you did to me." he said, turning his face to the side.

She noticed the faint, yet noticible, line across his left cheek. she thought back and remembered the open wound she'd left on his left cheek.

"I meant 'what do you know about the case?'" she redirected, determined not to let him distract her.

"That you're going to need a decorator." he joked, smirking at her frustration.

"This isn't about me!" she yelled. _'This was all about him,'_ she convinced herself. _'His anger and lust for what he'll never have.'_

"No," he said in a suddenly firm voice. He leaned across the table at her. She fought the urge to jump back. She wouldn't allow him to control her. "This _is_ about you. This is _all_ about _you_!" In a second he was on his feet in fury, kicking his chair away.

Liv flew up from her seat, backing against the glass.

"How was the therapy, Olivia?" he taunted. She froze as she realised, she'd never told Elliot about the therapy sessions. "Does talking about me so much make you feel better?" She maintained eye contact, unable to break it.

Her lungs ached at the pace her pulse was creating. The twinkle in his eye turned to a glint as his face confronted in rage. "You want to think about me? I'll make you remember!" he yelled; a vein throbbing in his forehead. He stepped away from the table, causing Liv to freeze at the lack of shackles restraining him to the table, and began dragging his cuffs across the bars on the window.

Memories exploded in to Olivia's mind. _'He scraped his baton across the chainlink fence."You wanna play games?"' _ Her heart gave an unconfortable squeeze, as she felt her airway constrict as she struggled to breath. Her hand grasped at her chest; she tried to suck in a breath but her throat wouldn't allow it. She stumbled away from the window in panic. _'I can't breath! I can't-'_ she screamed in her head, unable to vocalise her fear.

Her head swam as she finally sucked in a shallow, and far from satisfying, breath. Her hands shook in fear, panic, confusion. _'Why can't I breath? Someone please-'_ She stumbled to the door, but as she did it threw open, narrowly avoiding her. almost instantly Elliot's arms were around her, just as panicked as her, his face pale. She took in a short breath that didn't give her lungs the release they dearly needed as Fin and Munch lunged at Harris. He fought against their restraining arms; John surprisingly strong for his lean appearance.

"You bitch! I'm going to make sure you think of me everyday til you die!" His face was red as he fought against Fin. "You can't run away from me! I'm gonna get you, whore! You're mine, you hear? YOU'RE MINE!"

His livid voice and his blazing eyes were the last thing she saw before everything went black and cold and she slipped away.

**A/N For those who are unclear, as I don't expressly say, Olivia experienced a panic attack. I've had personal experience with them and they're downright horrid. Not only can they be terrifying they also strike anytime, any place...though Olivia's is triggered by the flashback, thanks to harris and his damn cuffs -_- xx Hope you like it.**


	15. Chapter 15 Devil's Dessert

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N Shoutouts this chapter go to smanoli and LissyLou for adding a story alert. To Purple Eyed Aggie, NCILexie and (again ^_^) LissyLou for adding to favourite stories. NCILexie also added to Favourite Author. LissyLou (Superstar) Also added to Favourite Author and an Author Alert.**

**Reviewers are incredible! ^_^ spacekitten2700, ashleysvureader, Lou3174, svuobsessed2011, maerae93 and courtneylovejason. You're my regular stars, makes me smile soo much to have your feeding back comments. Not only does it make me happy to know I'm doing something right, but your comments also influence upcoming events in this story xx**

**EOforevertogether WOW lol MASSIVE review and I read it just before posting the next chapter so that was awesome x *Gives a Gold Star* XD**

**One thing- Is everyone familiar with the magician Houdini? :/ Just in case you're not- Houdini performed a famous trick where he was under water in a water tank and escaped cuffs and a straight jacket. You might wonder why I'm asking, it'll make sense when you're reading.**

Chapter 15- Devil's Dessert

Slowly the light seeped through her eyelids. She rowned against the sting it caused in her dilated pupils. She took a shuddered breath, finding sweet relief in her unblocked airway.

"That's it, Liv; take a breath." came a voice.

She peeked her eyes open and everything came in to view, Elliot and Fin beside him, both kneeling on the floor. She pushed away the embarressment as she noticed she was lying on the floor, something soft under her head.

"What happened?" she said in confusion; the last thing she remembered was Harris flying towards her, his voice booming in her ears. She quickly looked around.

"It's ok, he's in interrogation still. Cragen's dealing with the guard who conveiniently forgot to cuff Harris to the table." Elliot confirmed, frowning at the guard who said they 'didn't realise he needed to be detained.' _'Stupid rookies' _he cursed, but he had a feeling it wasn't unintentional.

As Olivia tried to sit up her head pounded. "What-?" she was about to repeat.

"Panic attack." Fin replied. "My neighbour's kid had them all the time. You're just lucky superman here," he indicated to Elliot. "-Caught you before your head hit the floor."

Olivia groaned as they helped her to her feet. she saw Fin pull his folded jacket from the floor, dust it down and slip it back on. She noticed Elliot watching her but she didn't want to admit that he was right, that she'd made the wrong decision. She simply rolled the tight muscles in her neck.

"Give me a munute and I'll go back in."

Before Elliot could even form a sentence, Fin interjected. "Are you crazy?" he almost yelled. He continued as she began to argue. "This is me saying this Liv, not lovey dovey Elliot; you are _not_ going back in there!" he said in an uncomprimising tone. "Even if I have to lock you in the cage myself." he added, storming away.

Olivia looked to Elliot but from his expression she could tell he was siding with Fin on this one and wouldn't be any help.

xXx

A few minutes later she was on the safe side of the glass, now observing the vuffed and calmer Harris. Cragen had restricted Elliot access, claiming a dead suspect wasn't very responsive during an interrogation. Elliot had huffed but otherwise retreated quietly with Olivia to observation.

Munch was stood near the window, backing up Fin, less than impressed with the scum before him. Fin opened the file in front of him and got straight to the point.

"Mind tellin' us how your DNA got in to a Manhattan apartment while you were still behind bars?"

Harris gave a satisfied grin. "Magic?" he offered. "I'm Houdini?" he continued to challenge. "What can I say, I'm everywhere." he said, his eyes wandering to the mirror opposite him. "You can't get rid of me." he said, with a tone that sounded more than off hand.

Olivia gave a visible shiver despite her thick sweater jacket; Elliot regretted not arguing to take the interrogation.

"Hey!" Munch yelled, slamming his fist down on the table beside Harris, who refused to flinch. "You think you're clever because you got out your cuffs? How about I stick your head underwater for 10 minutes and you can pull a Houdini then?" John threatened, his normally leisurable stance now strong and imposing.

Harris merely sat with a smirk, his eyes still on the mirror.

"Look, we don't have time for your games," Fin yelled. "Just tell us what you know."

He could see him considering it, enjoying that he was once again in control of the situation. "I get a deal." Harris finally said.

"You'll get a smack if you keep wastin' my time." Fin replied in rejection of the request.

A flush crossed Harris' brow but he remained calm. "Sorry, can't help you; I don't know anything."

"'Don't know anything'?" Fin jumped up in anger and leaned across the table. "You had a personal party with her panties and left your stain!" Fin barked.

"Sorry Detectives, I'm not familiar with the panties you're referring to." he sneered, an amused shine in his eye and an almost reminiscent look on his face. "But please do pass my compliments to Detective Benson; I'm sure red silk, black lace and purple cotton are gorgeous on her."

Something clicked in Elliot's memory, at the crime sc- her apartment, the panties on the bed were...Elliot flew for the door. He burst through the door, only to collide with Munch and Fin a moment later, blocking his access. Deaths in custody were kind of frowned upon.

"You piece of crap! She's not yours! She'll _never_ be yours!" Elliot yelled at him, pointing his finger at him imperiously.

Olivia stood in the threshold, wanting so bad to pull Elliot out but hesitant to approach.

"She's mine!" harris firmly said back. "I experienced her in ways no other man has or ever will." he goaded.

Cragen's cellphone rang before he could order Elliot out, and he begrudingly left to take the call.

"Are you kidding me?" Elliot scoffed. "You have _no_ idea." Elliot goaded back, trying to put the filth in his place.

Harris' intuition clicked as to what he meant, or more precisely, how Elliot knew this. "You bastard, she's mine!" his raspy voice yelled. "She's my whore-" his face once again red.

"If anyone's a whore it's you!" Elliot yelled back, knocking Harris' confidence slightly. "See, you might be able to pull strings with your CO buddies, but they can't protect you in Gen. Pop, can they?" Lowell's eyes tightened, and his jaw clenched. "I bet your the prison bitch!" Elliot spat, knowing it would rile him up.

Harris lunged at him, causing the table to lurch, as his cuffs strained against his movements.

"Fin, get him out of here," Liv finally ordered, knowing any moment Elliot would go to far and land himself in trouble.

Fin and Munch tried to wrestle Elliot from the room as he was determines not to be the one to break eye contact. Liv watched as they finally got him back on the other side of the glass. A lurch of cuffs made Olivia jump and spin to look at Harris. He was stood up, veins throbbing from his racing heart and temper. His gleaming eyes locked with hers.

"Finally, we're alone," he taunted, shooting her a kiss like acid in her face. His pursed lips then smoothed out in to a smug grin. "How's your head, Olivia?"

She refused to buckle this time and slammed the door in his face, promising herself she would one day walk away from him with her head held high.

xXx

Liv turned to see Elliot clenching and unclenching his fists; a sign he was in need of a punchbag. Fin and Munch were stood either side of him. Elliot huffed as Cragen returned, his cell phone no longer to his ear.

"I'm having Harris transported back-" he began.

"He shouldn't have been brought here in the first place." Elliot fumed.

"He obviously isn't going to tell us anything-" Cragen continued, ignoring his hotheaded Detective.

"Well, hate to point out the obvious, Cap'," Elliot said pointedly.

"Enough, Stabler." Don simply said, not needing to raise his voice in to a shout.

"And just when I thought Elliot could control his temper." John muttered.

"You actually entertained the idea?" Fin replied with raised eyebrows.

"I don't think it was a total waste of time." Liv quietly offered, nkowing the response she would get.

Elliot looked at her in total disbelief. "You damn near suffocate because of him and you think there's something gained?" he harshly said, regretting it almost instantly. _'Liv, there's stubborn and then there's too stubborn for your own good.'_ he thought incredulously.

She eyes tightened at his dismissal; she wasn't some damn rookie so he was going to hear her out whether he agreed or not. "Well now we know he's definitely involved. So long as we keep him in a cell we can track down whoever he's working with. Maybe we can get them to flip on Harris, that way we can extend his sentence. Hopefully."

There was a moment of silence, as Elliot merely looked at her, his brow still furrowed. Then after a moment, he jumped in to action. He acrossed the room in two wide strides. "You're a genius." he muttered to her, placing a kiss on her forehead, Liv closed her eyes briefly in appreciation of the warm glow that pushed out the cold fears. He then hurried from the room, followed by the others. He began issuing orders; much to Fin's annoyance and John's over-the-glasses look.

"Munch, Fin, you check his call records and visitations. I'm going to get a list of his cellmates; see if any have been released." He reached for his phone.

"That'll have to wait." Cragen said, taking back control. He received a tired look from Elliot, who was keen on the new lead.

Cragen indicated to his cellphone. "That was Melinda. She thinks she has another victim for us."

They all looked confused. If there'd been another victim it would have came through Special Victims before it reached Melinda and the morgue.

"What? How's that possible?" Olivia asked.

"April Benson was killed earlier today. When Melinda read the name on the ID, she immediately called me."

"Whoever's doing this isn't finished yet." Munch added omniously, as if they all needed reminding anyway.

**A/N Ok, so Elliot was **_**trying**_** to be calm, but that never really goes as planned so, of course, his anger finally bursts out. I particularly love when he shouts at Harris being the prison Bitch XD Review xx**


	16. Chapter 16 Another Innocent Victim

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N Story Alert thank yous to MHfanSmoezz, lou3174, maerae93 and JjemIngy. Big thanks for my reviewers- svuobsessed2011, maerae93, lou3174, spacekitten2700, courtneylovejason and EOforevertogether. And a massive smile to the new writers taking an interest x (One quick thing, svuobsessed2011 pointed out my PM had been disabled, I'm not sure how this happened o.O because I didn't intend to. So a sorry for that if it wasn't working for you. Good news, I have enabled it, and will keep it that way, so all feedback welcome x) Also a big hello and welcome to emmy76, a new reviewer and added a story alert xx**

**This chapter introduces a new victim, I will be going in to more depth about the lab results, Melinda's report etc like I did before, but for now I tried to keep it simple. Look out for the most adorable cop ever (and for once it's not Elliot XD) who gets a bit emotional over the victim. I love this character even though he's only minor, I have named him Luke ^_^ though it doesn't get mentioned.**

**Maerae93 you superstar, added to favourite stories as I was about to upload this chapter so I thought I'd include it in this A/N**

Chapter 16- Another Innocent Victim

Olivia slid in to the passenger seat beside Elliot as her phone beeped. She opened the text message to find it was from Melinda.

"Co-ordinates." was all she said, punching them in to the nav system, only to frown a second later. "That can't be right; it says the crime scene is right around the corner."

Elliot frowned too, but otherwise turned the ignition, causing the car to rumble to life. True to the co-ordinates, the scene was indeed only around the corner. Elliot drove to the end of the road, turned left and continued down. After only a minute or so they turned right and pulled up at the curb. They frowned through the windshield at the yellow tape circling the entrance of an alleyway, wrapped around a lamppost and secured to the walls. A uniformed cop stood behind the tape against the wall beside the entrance, his stance wide. He had his hands clasped in front of him, his badge shining clearly on his chest. He looked pale and shook up; but Elliot guessed standing in the cold was to blame. Scanning the road, Elliot saw Melinda's transport at the curb a few paces down the street, two squad cars and a gathering of people.

"Something tells me this isn't a coincidence." Elliot muttered, unclipping his seatbelt and getting out; Olivia mirroring him.

As they marched towards the alley and ducked under the tape, several people snapped photos, receiving a glare from Elliot. "Don't we get enough grief from the _actual_ media without those amateurs tailin' us." he grunted.

Once behind the tape they spotted Melinda halway along the alleyway, the other side cordened off too, despite the chainlink fence that sealed it off, with an officer stationed there. There were old cardboard boxes, bits of paper, black refuse bags and broken crates scattering the floor.

"Oh so you didn't get lost?" Melinda said sarcastically, when she spotted them.

"Pretty difficult to get lost when the crime scene's on your doorstep." Olivia said.

"That's what I figured," Melinda said. "As soon as I saw her name I called you."

Olivia stepped closer and looked at the young woman's body. She saw the face and sighed, rubbing her forehead. "No," she muttered to herself.

"Liv?"

She sighed again. "I knew her, El. When Cragen said the name it rang a bell but I thought- hoped-" she trailed off.

"'Livia how did you know her?" Elliot asked.

"Police Academy." Melinda interrupted.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Olivia said with a quizzical look.

"She had her ID with her, that's how I got her name so quickly. And plus, the cop up front," she indicated towards the way they'd come in. "-Recognised her. And nearly spilled his lunch at the same time."

"He was the one who called it in?" Elliot continued, as Olivia stood back up, her eyes still on the body.

"I didn't ask." Melinda said, returning to her clipboard.

Elliot stepped over to Olivia, gently nudging her elbow. "You ok?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah,er-I didn't know her that well, but seeing her like this-" She sighed. "We joined the Academy the same year, I only knew her to say hello, catch lunch, that sort of thing. She was an orphan, she never knew her parents; I guess I could relate, then at least." she added. Her relationship with her mother wasn't exactly perfect and her father, well the less said about him the better.

This was often her reaction even if she wasn't fine. "You sure?" he pressed.

"Yes." she said firmly, and for once he believed her.

"Melinda, anything you can tell us from the Prelim.?" Olivia inquired.

"It wasn't a robbery, her purse was in the dumpster along with her body; her money and cards still in it, as far as I could tell." she said, indicating the the dumpster beside the body. "I'm having the whole dumpster searched." she added.

"And for once, it's not me jumping in there." Elliot muttered.

Melinda smiled. "I'll have more once I get her back home." she said, referring to the morgue.

Elliot and Olivia headed back to the entrance of the alleyway. The officer stationed there paled a little more as they approached him.

"You were the one to call it in?" Olivia asked.

"No, Ma'am." he said.

"Well who did?" Elliot asked impatiently.

"My partner did, Sir. He's across the street at-oh, he's coming now." he added, noticing his partner waddling across the road towards them. He had a satisfied smirk as he showed them a black video tape. He had spikey black hair that reflected the majority of light hitting it, thanks to the copious amounts of gel in it.

"Security footage from the store across the street." he said proudly.

Elliot snatched it from him. Despite the officer having saved them a trip; gathering evidence was not his job, and Elliot didn't appreciate having his toes stepped on. "You called it in?"

"Yeah, I went to take a leak-"

"An NYPD officer condoning Indecent Exposure?" Elliot said pointedly.

The uni shifted a little. "Well, we've been on patrol all morning and-"

"Get to the point." Olivia interrupted impatiently.

"Well I was going to pee behind the dumpster and the lid was open a little, I just caught glance inside-"

"You knew the victim?" Olivia said, turning away from the cocky officer to the stationed one. He was pale but beside that, his hair was the sandiest blonde and he had gleaming green eyes, but Olivia guessed the gleam was due more to the moisture in his eyes that the colour.

His features tinted with sadness. "Yes, Ma'am I do-did." he corrected with a lump in his throat. "She er- April and I-" he fumbled.

Olivia caught on. "How long?" she asked softly.

"Only a month or two but-" he defended.

"It's ok; go on, get out of here."

"Ma'am?" he asked confused.

"You're relieved." He smiled appreciatively and ducked under the tape. "Hey, Pee Pants!" Olivia called the the retreating officer. "I said he's relieved, not you. You're filling him spot." She strode away with Elliot before he could argue, as he begrudgingly took up the spot by the alleyway.

xXx

After returning to the squadroom, they filled in Cragen, waiting for the techie to finish cleaning up the video footage from the store. As soon as he called they were at his side, in front of the large screen and multiple devices surrounding him.

"Get something?" Olivia asked eagerly.

"Difficult to tell." he said. "The footage was from a really cheap camera so the picture quality was next to none, grainy to say the least."

"Yeah, but you fixed it right?" she encouraged, eager for some sort of lead, _any_ lead.

"Well, from the photo you showed me, I think I found your victim." He played the footage. There, very much alive, was April Benson. She was walking down the street. As she reached the alleyway she spotted the black bags spilling out on to the sidewalk. She picked them up and disappeared down the alleyway.

"Why does the Good Samaritan always fall victim?" Olivia muttered rhetorically. "Wait! Rewind that."

He did, taking it back several frames. The screen showed someone slipping in to the alleyway a few moments after April.

"Hold on." he said. His fingers danced across the keyboard, bringing the video to a still, zooming in, freezeframing and then taking a snapshot. The pixels seemed to fizz away as he altered several controls and variables, until-

"Ta-da." he finally said. "That's the best I can do."

A person dressed all in black had followed her, concealing their face with a cap. "White, would you say about...5'9?" Olivia conferred with Elliot.

"Yeah, about that." He peered closer. "There's hair visible at the back of the cap, looks black."

"Or dark brown." Olivia muttered to herself.

"Can't tell the length though." Elliot added.

"What do you think? They were tailing her then saw an opportunity?" she offered.

"Must have, there's no way they could have known she's stop the help clean up the streets."

"If that's what it takes to be green, I'd rather not." Munch called from his desk.

"Thanks for the input, John. And I thought Fin was the constructive one." Elliot sarcastically replied, returning to his desk.

"Get us a copy of all this." Olivia said to the techie as he began packing up his equipment.

Olivia slid in to her chair, sitting up dead straight and then relaxing in an attempt to release the tension from her back. Fin caught their attention.

"Heads up, Cap' doesn't look like a happy bunny. Who you beat this time Stabler?" he challenged, receiving a roll of eyes.

"Melinda just called. She was just undressing the victim and found a badge." he revealed.

"What a cop's badge?" Olivia demanded, her intuition in overdrive.

"No, a CO's badge. In her panties." he added.

xXx

Olivia was already heading to their car when Elliot caught up with her.

"And where'd you think you're going?" he joked, jogging to meet her step.

"Don't you mean 'Where am I going _alone_?" she shot back, knowing they were all keeping tabs on her in order to protect her. Elliot gave her an unashamed shrug at her forwardness. When he didn't respond, she knew he was insisting on an answer.

"I'm going to see Melinda." she admitted.

"Olivia, for once, let it go. Rushing over there isn't going to change anything." he said, striding alongside her as they drew nearer to the car. "That woman isn't going to be any less dead because you're driving over to see Melinda."

"I know that, Stabler." Olivia retorted to his harsh words. "But I have to do _something._"

But as unlocked the car door remotely and reached for the door, Elliot snatched the keys from her hand. "What do you think you're-"

"I'm driving." he simply said.

She had no choice but to allow it as he slid in to the driving seat. As they drove, there was a comfortable silence. Until Elliot took a wrong turn.

"You missed the turning." she corrected. "Just take the next right; we can circle round."

He drove passed the next right turning, despite the light traffic.

"Elliot, you just-" she began in frustration.

"We're not going to see Melinda. She won't have anything for us until morning anyway." he said.

She sat for a moment, looking at him with an unreadable look on her face, which he dared to glance at only once.

"Elliot, do you even-?"

"Cragen told me-" he tried to interrupt.

"I don't care what he told you; are you going to hear me out or keep treating me like a newbie?" she challenged. He looked at her and recognised the frown on her face, and knew it was not to be challenged back. He didn't need to say anything for her to know he was going to listen.

"Do you even know what it's like to see a friend dead on the ground? To see them completely destroyed by someone you could have stopped?" she dared, intending for it to be rhetorical.

Elliot thought to himself. _'And how many times have we come close to me seeing you that way, Liv?'_ Though he didn't dare vocalise this, especially not when Liv was gearing up for a confrontation. He'd be spending the night in the same apartment as her, and he'd prefer for it not to be in silence. _'Crap, still have to mention that to her.'_

"You couldn't have stopped it." he muttered, trying to ease the guilt she was obviously feeling.

"Excuse me?" she said spinning to him. He rolled his eyes; why was it everytime they were in the car together he ended up causing a dispute?

"I just meant, we couldn't have gotten to her sooner." he corrected, hoping she'd drop it.

She seemed in a milder mood than thought as she let the matter rest; _'uncharacteristic for her', _he thought, _'We usually escalate to raised voices before we go in to silent treatment.'_

"I'm just pissed, I guess; I mean, this bastard attacked someone I haven't thought about in years and can still get to me."

There was another moment of silence as he turned a corner and she passed him a quizzical glance.

"El, where are you-" she began, noticing the familiarity of the route. When she sighed, he knew she'd figured it out. _'Intuitive as always.'_

"Well I guess my apartment is a little messy, huh?" she humourlessly joked, as they finally pulled up outside Elliot's apartment complex.

**A/N I'm so happy with the ending of this story and I haven't even written it yet XD Review for Christmas? XD That's bribery but oh well xx This is going to be the last update over Christmas, (despite having already finished the next chapter), to give me (and you guys lol) a break. xx I love the next chapter; Elliot and Liv have that conversation about a relationship or not, the awkwardness of sharing an apartment for the night, how Olivia's coping with the newest victim and her safety. I'll post it sometime after Christmas. For now I'll say Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays for those who celebrate alternatively, be safe. xXx**


	17. Chapter 17 Home Alone

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N Ok so I extended my break over Christmas, I was intending to post a few days ago but I have major revision for January exams. I want to send thank yous to AprilBaby95, Hutch917, spacekitten2700, Jessica, lou3174, JjemIngy and Ec95 for their amazing feedback, really mad me happy and just before Christmas too, which was awesome. x**

**I want to give a thank you to JessBrinns for adding a story alert and favourite story. Also thanks to brokenangelx1 who also added to favourite story. angelgirl88 also added to favourite story and a story alert, thank you so much for follwoing my story.**

**alexis47 added to favourite story, story alert and favourite author, you made me smile so much x Star of the week goes to Turquoisjem, I cannot begin to explain how happy I was when I saw an imbox of all your alerts. Turquoisjem left a review, added to favourite story, favourite author, a story alert and an author alert. I was amazed by the response that keeps growing despite being over halfway thruogh my story.**

**This chapter is more about the EO relationship, what Elliot wants, want Liv wants etc. Hope you like it.**

Chapter 17- Home Alone

Elliot unlocked his front door, a brown bag swinging in his hand; Olivia's clothes from earlier this morning, that he had insisted on carrying for her. He strode in, heading to place the bag on the coffee table. He looked back and saw that Olivia had closed the door, locked it, added the chain, and was now jerking the handle slightly to be positive it was locked. When she was satisfied, she turned to see him watching her.

"What?" she demanded, receiving a look of concern. "Come on, El, wouldn't you be at least a little concerned if someone had raided your panties draw?" she asked rhetorically.

He smirked. "Well, I would first be wondering why I had a _panties_ drawer in my apartment at all."

She shook her head at him and she strode forward. "I'm going to take a bath, that ok?" she asked, looking at him expectantly.

He shook his head, striding past her. Did she even need to ask? "You remember where the towels are, right?" he asked emphasisingly, as she rolled her eyes.

"It's still considered polite to ask, even if you know the answer." she smiled.

"Sure, forget the excuses, Benson, go shower." he replied, sending her a wink over his shoulder as he headed through his bedroom door.

Olivia smiled to herself, grabbed the bag from the coffee table and headed straight to the bathroom.

Elliot's bathtub came with a fitted shower. She considered her options as she pushed the bathroom door shut quietly and slid the silver lock across. Showers usually woke her up, but a bath would have her falling asleep. The last thing she needed was to fall asleep on El's couch. She shrugged, so long as she got clean she wasn't really fussed. Ever since she'd been in Interrogation with Harris, she'd felt..dirty. As though she was somehow contaminated from being around him. Like a part of him was clinging to her and stalking her; she needed to rid herself of this parasite. It was a ridiculous notion, her mind kept assuring her; and yet her skin still crawled when she thought back to being in that room with him, the sound of the handcuffs scraping the metal bars of the window, his roaring voice and, worst of all, the affect it had had on her. It was like he had somehow gotten inside her head, controlling her from inside, taking away her breath and pumping pure fear in to her veins.

She sighed, pushing her memories away and quickly divesting herself of her clothes, needing to feel clean. She was mildly jealous of Elliot's shower as she pressed the button and it instantly pumped hot water. She stepped under it and moaned in appreciation as her shoulder muscles began to loosen. She pulled a fresh wash cloth from the rail and squirted some of Elliot's shower gel on to it; smiling when his scent enveloped her. She'd lathered her skin in the gel when there was a knock at the door.

"Liv?"

She glanced at the door, her mind buzzing as she playfully imagined him climbing in the shower with her. She smirked as she soaped herself up.

"I'm just letting you know, I gotta step out for a second." She didn't answer, wondering what could be so important that he'd leave her by herself. "I'll be less than ten minutes, I'm just going down to the lobby. I'll be right back, ok?"

She swallowed heavily before finally finding her voice. "Erm- yeah." she said, hiding her nerves. The last time she'd been in the bathroom alone, it had not ended well. She quickly glanced down and saw her gun on the floor. _'I'm safe.'_

"El?" she quickly called, hoping he was still by the door.

"Yeah?"

She hesitated, wondering if she should dare. _'It's Elliot; he'll understand.'_ "Lock the door behind you?"

There was a moment of silence. "Sure, Liv, I'll take my keys. I'm just downstairs and I'll be right back, I promise, ok?"

This time she didn't respond and despite his warm words, as soon as she heard him padding away from the bathroom door, her brain started coming up with ridiculous ideas to make her paranoid. This past week her irrational side had taken over several times, usually she could control it, as most people could. But on the other hand, there was an unnamed, faceless, psycho wandering around the streets with her name at the top of his to-do list.

She determinedly turned back to the shower head, again lathering her body in the frothy white bubbles that smelled deliciously of Elliot; his scent providing the comfort of safety while he was away. _'He'll be back soon.' _she reminded herself. She glanced around and spotted Elliot's razor on the shelf. She chewed her lip, it would be cheeky, possibly rude, but then again, the last time she was in the bath she'd chosen not to shave, a mistake in hindsight. She ran her fingers down her legs; smooth, but not as smooth as they could be. She shrugged. She plucked Elliot's razor up and ran it under the stream of water. She sat down in the tab, pulling her legs up to her chest a little, lathered them up in bubbles and then glided the blades across her skin.

When she was done, she rinsed the razor under the shower and replaced it on the shelf. She was about to reach for the shampoo when the water suddenly began icy cold, causing goosebump to shoot up on her skin and shivers to creep down her spine. She lurched from her stream of water, landing unceremoniously on the floor, the bathmat doing little to break her fall. She stared up, memories flooding her mind like the the water from the shower.

_She strode across the shower room, her arms folded across her chest, clutching desperately to cover her body, despite her being naked from the waist down. She stepped into the grimy cubicle; dirty, cracked tiles, mould festering in the grouting, a bar of soap that had been used on God only knows how many other women. She stared up at the shower head that towered over her, already leaking water. She knew what it would be like as she hesitantly extended her hand to the button, anxiously glancing between it and the shower head. Within a second the water was shivering across her, causing her to tremble from the chill it sent shooting through her. She seemed to seize up in a futile attempt to escape the biting sting on her skin. Each drop of water splashed down her face, in a constant, painful stream. She cuddled her arms to her chest, doing little to ease the numbness she felt._

Olivia stayed curled on the floor as warm tears leaked from the corner of her eyes. She snuffled and forced herself to sit up, taking a deep shuddering breath and trying to settle her racing heart. As she forced herself to her feet, her hip screamed in protest. She knew by morning she'd have a bruise from where she'd hit the unyielding floor. She shut off the water and reached for the brown bag, knowing Elliot would be back soon, he'd promised. The last thing she wanted was for him to find her curled up on the floor, feeling sorry for herself. She yanked a towel from the cabinet at the foot of the bathtub and dried herself off.

She peered in to the brown bag of her new clothes. She rummaged through; she knew she'd bought two sets of pyjamas but she couldn't for the life of her remember what they looked like. In the end she simply grabbed the first ones she saw; a fresh set of underwear, navy blue shorts and cami, cotton but with a delicate lace trim along the v-neck line that only showed enough chest to be respectable.

Elliot didn't have a laundrey basket, so she bundled up her dirty clothes under her arm. She retreived her gun, and then eased the lock across. She dumped the dirty bundle in to the washer, _'El won't mind.'_ she conceded. She always used his washer and he hadn't moaned yet. She shrugged as she turned the dial, groaning again as her hip gave a dull ache. _'Damn shower,'_ she cursed, heading towards the window.

She stood close, her breath rhythmically causing cloudy patches to appear. It was nearly ten o'clock now, and the sky had dimmed considerably. _'Melinda would have gone home by now. Poor April, lying in that morgue all by herself.'_ But she wasn't alone. _'Martine Olivia. Two innocent women. Dead, because of me. No, because of him.' _she corrected with a frown, kicking herself for allowing him to make her feel guilty.

She folded her arms across her chest, feeling a chilly breeze sweep by her. She gazed out, critically scanning with her eyes. Elliot's apartment building didn't have a fire escape attached to the side of the building; for which she was relieved. After years of being a Detective she'd heard countless stories from women about how their attacker had come through the window leading off the fire escape; eventually Liv had simply stopped viewing apartments with fire escapes. She was especially glad now, and yet the idea of a stranger coming in to your home through the front door seemed somehow more frightening than if they'd broken in. And she'd rather be here than at the precinct another night. The cribs weren't bad but the mattresses weren't exactly brand new.

Another breeze swirl around her. Something touched her collarbone and she looked down as a hand closed over her shoulder.

"Aah!" she jumped away in shock, her heart racing.

"Woah, Liv!" Elliot exclaimed as she spun to face him. He was increasingly aware that she still had her gun in her hand. He held his hands up, surprised by her outburst.

"Jesus Christ Elliot!" she cursed, taking deep breaths to steady herself. "You scared the crap out of me."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"I know." she interrupted, shaking her head. "It was my fault, I'm just a little-" _'Paranoid? anxious? Terrified?'_ "-tired." She saw immediately from his eyes that he didn't believe a word of it.

"I just didn't hear you come in." She spotted him looking at her gun, causing her to roll her eyes. "I'm not going to shoot you, Elliot. Give me some credit."

"Liv, I-"

"Safety was on anyway." she added.

_'Thanks Liv, that makes me feel loads better.'_ he thought to himself, but decided to drop it. She had sat down on the couch, tucking one leg under her, wrapping her arms around her chest.

"Cold?" he asked, reaching over and pulling a blanket from the armchair beside her.

"Your damn shower turned cold on me." She decided to skip out the rest; she didn't want him to think she couldn't cope. She'd vowed to herself to be stronger, not to let it get to her. But then something would happen, there'd be a victim, or a piece of evidence, a flash of a memory and her resolve would shatter again.

"Yeah, sorry about that, it's been playing up; my Super's been avoiding me everytime I ask him about getting it fixed."

Olivia smirked at the image of a short, fat, balding, sweating Supervisor hiding from built-like-a-tank-Elliot, who would undoubtably be barging in to the office and demanding new pipes.

"I was thinking, I don't know how long you'll be staying here, you know you're welcome any time, but I'll take the couch if you want." Elliot said. Olivia frowned a little, wrapping the blanket around herself and pulling her legs up to her chest. When she didn't say anything he continued awkwardly. "This couch isn't the best in the world, I don't want you getting a bad back or anything, and I've crashed on here a million times so..." he trailed off.

"Er- sure, I guess. I mean, you've got a double bed but if you'd prefer the couch then that's fine, it's your bed- I mean, it's your couch. The couch is fine, I guess." She wanted to slap herself. _'Could you have sounded anymore air-headed?' _

There was a long awkward silence, a new for them, which added to the awkwardness. Elliot suddenly spoke up.

"Ok, Liv, this is awkward and it's probably my fault, but you know, I've been thinking about the other night in the cribs, quite a lot actually, and-"

_'Don't say it, El-'_ she thought urgently to herself. _'Don't say it was a mistake; don't break my heart.'_ she pleaded.

"-And I need you to know- well, I don't know about you, Liv- but for me..." he hesitated, he wasn't one to share his feelings, but he forced on. "It wasn't a one-night-thing for me." She stayed silent, shocked by his admittance. "And even if you don't want anything to happen between us, if you regret it and just want to go back to how things were, I completely understand, but I just needed you to know that I'd never use you like that."

He fell silent, his eyes not meeting hers. She thought what to say, carefully choosing her words.

"I don't regret it." she said almost silently.

His head shot up, his blue eyes linking with hers and, though he didn't realise it, offering her a confidence boost.

"You don't?"

She shook her head. "Elliot, I was fully aware of what decision I was making that night. You know how much you mean to me; we've been partners for years."

He didn't say anything, he felt a 'but' coming on.

"But I'm not good with relationships, Elliot, you know that."

He took a deep breath and nodded. He didn't feel rejected, he knew he'd still see her, just not in the sense-

"I'm not saying no, El." A glimmer of hope shot through him. "I'm not ready for a long-term relationship, the whole couple-thing-" she said awkwardly, a slight smile appearing. "But I'm willing to give it a try. I mean, I want to get all this out of the way first but, if you wanted to, like I said, I'll give it a try." she fumbled at the end, cursing herself. _'How long have I wanted to tell him all this and I choose now to get tongue-tied? Are you serious?'_ "We'll go slow, El."

_'Liv, I was a teenage boy once, I know how to go slow.'_ he thought, but otherwise it was his turn to stay silent, slightly confused whether they were now officially dating or not. "So we're...?" he trailed off.

She smirked. "We're exclusive, if that's what you're asking. I have no intention of being with other men, Elliot."

He smiled, unable to stop it from creeping on to his face. She returned it as he shared the warm smirk with her. "Ok, I wasn't expecting..._anything_," he hinted. "You know, it's not like I assumed we'd get together again after the cribs, I just needed to know where I stood." _'I needed to know you wouldn't break my heart.'_

He chuckled to himself. _'How could someone so beautiful want me?'_ he chuckled again.

"What's funny?"

"Nothing." He gave a contented sigh. "Come on, Liv, time you got some sleep."

She smiled at the prospect as he stood. She followed suit, standing up, throwing off the blanket and heading for his bedroom. As she opened the bedroom door however, she hesitated. He was plumping the cushions on the couch and then shaking out the blanket.

"El?" she asked confused; he'd prefer to sleep on the couch than with her? _'We finally-'_

"Go slow, Liv. Remember?" he joked, folding the blanket in half to make it thicker. He'd coveted her from afar for years and now he finally had her he didn't want to mess it up by being invasive- especially given the circumstances.

She watched him for a moment as he loosened his tie. "El? What if I changed my mind?"

He looked at her, his eyes cautious. "What do you mean?"

"What if I don't want to go slow?" He looked at her for a second, trying to gauge her intentions. "What if I just want to be with you?"

In a few long strides he was with her, wrapping her up in his strong arms. She amorously met his lips, almost in frenzy at their new level of intimacy. Within moments he needed more and lifted her off her feet. Their lips danced alongside each other as she wrapped her legs around his waist. His hands explored her thighs as he held her, gently backing against the door frame. He could feel her pulling him closer, her hand travelling down his chest, tugging at the loops of his jeans in suggestion seeing as she couldn't reach the button. He carried her in to his room, kicking the door shut with his foot.

**A/N haha did anyone actually think Liv was going to reject him? As if I would have her do that. ^_^ I thought Olivia would be feeling very confused at the time, which accounts for her hesitation, but of course she could never go without her El. As for the shower scene, I wanted Liv to get a sudden shock, feel as though Harris is still around her, especially what happened at the precinct. I know Elliot would never have left Olivia alone, but I needed him out of the apartment in order for him to come back and frighten her, so I took a bit of creative license there. So, thoughts? Good? Bad? Surprised I'm still alive after such a long break? XD lol Hope you enjoyed it.**


	18. Chapter 18 Morning Rush

From Hell To Heaven

**Thank you to spacekitten2700, Lou3174, courtneylovejason, maerae93, SteffieDawn, alexis47, svuobsessed2011 and DeLene for your feedback. I love you guys, your comments really make me feel better. Also thank you to ShannonandStella, Japanese Geshia Doll, SteffieDawn, DeLene, StephieB01 and Amber77 for adding story alerts, it's nice to know you want to follow my story. Big thank you to maerae93, SteffieDawn and DeLene for adding author alerts, big smiles for that XD Thank you to SteffieDawn for adding favourite author and favourite story. And a thank you to DeLene for adding to favourite story also x**

**Ok, I'm aware it has been a long time since I was posted. I always find it difficult **_**not**_** to write but I have big exams in January so I have mountains of work to get done and revise. They're my A Level exams, which will determine if I get the right grades for university. As you can imagine the pressure and stress is overwhelming so I tried to get this chapter finished as soon as I could. Having said all that, I really hope you enjoy it, and sorry for any grammar/spelling errors.**

Chapter 18- Morning Rush

Olivia awoke to find, for the first time in a very long while, she was naked in bed with a man. Her beautiful man. Usually, they disappeared before she woke, either through regret or not wanting anything deeper, she'd had her fair share and of ditching and being ditched. But as she rolled over and saw him, the most beautiful man she's ever, and probably ever will, known. She smiled. It had been a long time since she'd smiled after spending the night with someone. Before Sealview, she would roll over to a world of regret, shame and a grouchy trip to the coffee shop.

Elliot was still asleep, one of the few times he was ever truely peaceful. She didn't need to peak to know he was naked too, especially as she lazily trailed her finger up his thigh, finding no fabric hinderance as she continued up to his chest. She dropped her hand, not wanting to disturb him. She eased on to her back, looking up at the cieling. Light was pouring in through a window, but she wasn't sure where it was. With a final yawn she heaved herself up and looked around. The room was vaguely familiar. She hadn't paid much attention to her surroundings last night; she'd been a bit preoccupied with Elliot. And any other night she'd visited his apartment she had deliberately stayed away from his bedroom, just in case temptation presented itself.

It was a decent sized, rectangular room, with a built in closet. The bedroom door was situated halfway along the one wall, opposite a large window, which had a dresser beneath it. To the left of the door was the bed, a window above the headboard. The closet was to the right, hidden away behind a door; but it was a sizeable closet. The floor was medium oak panelling; she suspected Elliot had chosen price over style, and yet had still gotten it right. The curtains and bed covers were a similar shade of blue. She smirked; cop- through and through. His room would have been clean, were it not for their clothes lying abandoned all over the place; Marine behaviour was still ingraved in him.

She pushed off the bedcoverd, causing a chill to run across ehr skin. it was strange, in her apartment, before all this happened, she never felt confortable being naked around the place. And yet here she was, arms extended above her head as she stretched her muscles, and relaxing once again. She glanced back at Elliot as he tossed on to his front, casually dropping his arm across to where she would have been lying. She piled their clothes up as best she could, noticing the blue bra and panties set he had suggested the other day at the store. She smiled as she recalled his expression, shock, surprise and appreciation as she removed her clothes to see the delicate design that complimented her body so nicely. She pulled on his everyday light clue work shirt. She buttoned up the front as she headed towards the door, knowing the other windows were in full view of adjacent apartments. And in her line of work, she was well aware that anyone and everyone could be a Peeping Tom.

xXx

Elliot awoke with a start, one side of his bed empty. He lifted his head. "Liv?" He looked around at the still bedroom. He noticed her gun, dropped carelessly to the floor.

"'Livia?" he called in a slightly rushed voice. He spared only a second to yank on a pair of shorts and then hurried from the bedroom. Then he saw the most beautiful thing- Olivia in his shirt, making coffee. His shirt left little to the imagination, but what he could see, he already knew in magnificent detail.

"Morning sleepyhead." she teased, unaware of the panic ebbing away in his chest. "I assume you want coffee?" she joked, knowing full well he struggled to function without his morning coffee.

"You left your gun on the bedroom floor." he hinted, noticing her separation from her weapon for the first time in however many days.

She innocently looked up at him. "Oh. I guess I didn't need it." she shrugged, and went back to what she was doing. "Breakfast?"

"Uh-yeah." he awkwardly said, a swell of pride in his chest. _'Another step in the right direction.'_ He wasn't naive enought o think she was over it, she would soon strap her gun back on, but clinging to it was only making her more paranoid. "I'm going to jump in the shower."

He saw her nod as she began rummaging through his kitchen cabinets; he smirked and turned on his heel. He didn't mind. He was used to it.

xXx

A few minutes later he returned from the bathroom with nothing but a low slung towel and a smile.

"You know I was thinking-" he began, adjusting the towel that kept threatening to fall.

"We'd have to cancel breakfast? I know, I saw the clock too." she added. They hadn't woken up nearly as early as they had thought. But neither of them cared as they allowed their eyes to wander appreciateively over the other.

Waterdroplets still hung in Elliot's delicate eyelashes that framed his sapphire eyes. His broad shoulders and muscular chest looked as appealing as they felt. She couldn't imagine herself never being able to cling to them as he brought she closer to bliss. There was a light sprinkling of hair across his chest, flashing back memories of him over her, checking she was ok while she held her hand against his heart. His toned muscles continued to sculpt their way down his stomach as though he were Adonis. Her eyes drifted further down, her pulse racing, her breathing accelerated; she felt like she was going to explode until she saw...the white fluffy towel. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and shoot the towel, at least until she reminded herself she'd seen it all last night anyway. In great detail. Several times.

But for Elliot it was entirely different. He knew she was beautiful. He knew she was a Goddess. He also knew every delicate and delicious curve of her body, each toned muscle and every 'flaw' that made her uniquely perfect. but now as he looked at her, he saw his Olivia shining through. The Olivia he's know for years. The Olivia who was always at the end of a phonecall if he needed help. The Olivia who used to smile without a demon haunting her. She wore dark jeans, boots, one of her flattering blouses-Navy blue, his favourite- and a leather jacket. His Liv. Always has been, always will be.

"El?"

He looked at her awkwardly.

"You're the one with only a towel on; shouldn't I be the one gawping?" she teased, permitting herself another look at his gorgeous body.

xXx

By the time they made it to the precinct, they were running late. Admittedly they had stopped for more coffee along the way. They hurried in to the squadroom, Elliot holding a cup of coffee, while Olivia had a tray of four.

Elliot immediately dropped in to his chair, while Olivia set the tray on her desk and busied herself removing her jacket, tugging her hair behind one ear. Munch was reclined in his own seat, his long legs crossed on his desk. Fin was stood further way from them, his back to them while he focused on the board of photos and notes.

"Ding-dong, Detective Benson!" Munch called in a sing-song sort of tone. Olivia passed him appreciative smile. "Nice to see you no longer wearing Stabler's baggy crap."

Elliot spared him a withering look, pulling a file towards him and pretending to read it. Like Munch, he was admiring Olivia's more fitting clothes, though perhaps not in the same way as John.

Olivia crossed the space between the desks to hand John a cup of coffee from the holder. "Nice to be back in something familiar." she said offhand, deciding not to mention just how familiar she was with Elliot, especially after the previous night of activities. John nodded in blind agreement as he gulped down the coffee.

"This is good coffee." he muttered.

"That must be quite a change for you, huh john?" Elliot mused.

Olivia ignored the quipping that followed, but thought she should interrupt before they really pissed each other off.

"Where's Cragen?" she said, gently nudging John's shoulder.

"On his way in; he called me just before you two got in. he wanted to personally transport our guest back to his cell, just in case his guards decided to be unobservant again." Olivia merely nodded, now safe in the knowledge that the Interrogation Room was no longer housing her monster. "Speak of the devil," John said, thankfully nudging Olivia before her mind slipped back to the memories she'd locked away.

Cragen strode in to the squadroom, ironically wearing his cap, and his long brown coat that was almost a cliche for cops. Olivia promtly presented him with a hot cup of coffee.

"I knew there was a reason In hired you." he teased as he headed in to his office.

Olivia glanced in Fin's direction as she leaned against the edge of her desk. Munch soon caught her attention.

"He hasn't slept."

"What?" she asked, jumping a little as she suddenly heard his voice, closer than she would have expected.

"He hasn't slept." he simply repeated. "I tried to tell him to sleep, but you know how he is." Olivia knew that Fin was far too strong-minded for him to simply follow a suggestion from Munch.

Elliot glanced in Fin's direction, considering; they'd never exactly been best buddies but he appreciated how much Fin cared about Liv, a shared appreciation. Olivia grabbed another cup of coffee and headed towards him, silently stepping beside him and glancing over the board.

He was stood with his arms crossed, folded tightly against his chest. She held the cup up to him but he didn't notice. She nudged his elbow, he blinked from his thoughts.

"Thanks." he said, taking the coffee. He now stuffed one hand in to his pocket while holding the coffee cup with the very tips of his fingers.

"You're lookin' nice, Baby girl." he mumbled, sipping his coffee.

"Thanks. It's amazing what a shower can do, huh?" she joked. "I would have actually enjoyed it if the water hadn't ran cold." she muttered offhand.

As soon as he looked at her she knew she had said too much. Fin was more than familiar with the conditions in the prison and so knew the connetations a cold shower had, particularly for Olivia. He sighed, turning back to the board.

"You tell Elliot about it?"

"The shower? I don't see why I need to." she quipped. She knew they were discussing more than a simple shower. Fin knew she would have freaked, she had, and equally, she was asking him as a friend not to say anything.

"Hm." he merely said, though she heard the doubt in his tone. "I guess so." She smiled at his agreement.

"So," she began, eager to move the conversation away from subjects that could be potentially volatile should Elliot get involved. "Penny for your thoughts?"

When he didn't respond immediately she didn't press the issue. "I need to run somethin' by you." he said in a hushed tone.

She stepped closer to him, glancing back at Elliot. "What have I done now?" she joked, but from his expression she could see a late night with little sleep made him less receptive to humour.

"I was thinkin', you know if this guy got in through your front door, we knew he must of had a key and, I know I shouldn't be prying but, that cop that was here a few days ago?"

_'Max.'_ She hesitated. "Yeah."

"I'm assuming he was in your apartment." Fin wasn't one to ask her personal questions about her sex life, she had always appreciated that, especially after a failed date, a regretted evening or stoodup; though it had been a while for any of those.

He turned to face her, his eyes meeting hers. "Do you trust that guy enough to say he's not involved in this?"

She didn't immediately answer. He hadn't hurt her, not physically at least. But he'd made her feel threatened, and he'd been less than happy about her hesitation. And he'd even said he saw her badge in the living room and she always kept it on the table beside the front door along with...along with her spare keys- the one that was missing.

Her eyes jumped to Fin's. He gave a knowing look. Olivia hurried back to her desk and grabbed up her jacket. She hurriedly stuffed her arms in.

"Woah, woah, Liv? Liv, what's going on?" Elliot asked, leaning forward in his seat, his eyes following her every move. _'Please God, not another victim,'_ he pleaded.

"I think we got a suspect." she simply said, knowing Max would be an issue of contempt for Elliot.

"Who?" he questionned. _'What's she hiding?' _he thought. He knew her so well he could read herexpression like a book.

"That cop guy," Fin said.

"That's helpful." John muttered.

"Can it, old man." Fin retorted, pulling on his jacket.

"Hold it." came a voice. Olivia resisted the urge to sigh as Cragen called them to a halt. "Liv, I don't want you on this one."

"I can do my job, Captain." she argued, her voice leaning towards frustration.

"I'm more than aware of what you're capable of, Detective, but I don't want you collaring this one."

"Captain, we have a lead, we can't just-"

"Detective Benson, if this is him, the guy who's been doing all this, the last thing I want to do is give him the satisfaction of you turning up to arrest him."

She didn't agree, Fin was her backup; she was more than capable of making an arrest.

"Captain, please," she began. But he insistently ignored her.

"Elliot, John, got pick him up, bring him in." John nodded as he and Elliot stood. "Stabler, do I have to remind you not to cause a scene?" he asked, his tone firm.

Elliot had an urge to give Liv a quick kiss, make her feel better about being benched, this one time at least. But then again, it would be out of place in the squadroom, especially in front of their coworkers.

He didn't bother to answer Cragen, his eyes were on Olivia. Fin huffed as he dropped in to his seat. John was already striding towards the doors and Cragen had returned to his office.

"Liv," he began, stepping towards her as she leaned back against her desk with a sigh.

"It's fine El, really. Go get the bad guy." she kidded, knowing he could see her feelings clearly.

"You sure?" he asked quietly, aware of propriety in the workplace. He inconspicuously placed his hand on hers, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Yeah, really, I'm ok. I'll find some work to do." she said, passing him a reassuring smile.

But as he hurried after John, she dropped in to her seat, less than satisfied with the arrangement.

**A/N I'm aware the start was a bit fluffy, but I wanted a bit of EO. I kept it tame because I don't think they would have been all over each other like lovesick teens; they're adults and sometimes you don't need to smother each other in affection to show how you feel. anyway, besides that, many of you had commented saying you suspected Max. Again, (I'm sure maerae93 is sick of hearing this XD) I am neither denying or confirming these guesses, but as you read, Max is returning. I guess you'll have to read on to see if it's in the capacity you all think. Despite Max being a bit of an ass, I personally like him and enjoy writing for him, especially as I picture him as a certain blue-eyed cop from another show, though perhaps only in looks. Review if you can, they're such a massive encouragement.**


	19. Chapter 19 Precinct Pickup

From Hell to Heaven

**A/N Aw my wonderful reviewers! ^.^ Made me so happy. So special thanks go out to DeLene, Lou3174, courtneylovejason, SteffieDawn, maerae93, Amber77 and svuobsessed2011. And also thank you to olivia-benson1 for adding a story alert. **

**I was intending to upload this yesterday but I have a last minute cramming session ^.^ (My exam was this morning). I cut this chapter short a bit, explains at the end in my author notes x I've tried to have Olivia faltering a little, obviously not over what happened but working through it, so she's not allowing herself to think about it and get worked up. There is a bit where Elliot puts his foot in it without realising it, a comment he makes could easily be seen as a reference to Olivia and Sealview, see if you can spot it. **

Chapter 19- Precinct Pickup

Elliot and Munch strode through a precinct that was not theirs, receiving many looks from fellow officers. As they stepped in to a crowed squadroom, Elliot immediately spotted him.

"That's him there." he pointed out, guiding Munch over. The 'intended target' as Elliot thought of him, was stacking files on one side of the desk, in an attempt to organize them.

"Max Swanson?" Munch professionally inquired, despite already knowing the answer.

Max looked up to see John's badge extended towards him. "Yeah?" he asked hesitantly.

"You need to come with us."

Max chuckled. "I don't think so guys. I've got this mountain of paperwork to get done and I'm already behind. Another time, boys." he said, dropping in to his seat and placing a file in front of him. As he began to open it Elliot's hand came crashing down, holding the file shut.

Elliot leaned over the desk, his eyes shooting daggers. "That wasn't a request, _boy_." Elliot sneered. He had at least 50 pounds of muscle on Swanson, so whoever the 'boy' was, it certainly wasn't Stabler. "You need to answer a few questions down at _our_ precinct."

Max looked between John and Elliot apprehensively. "What is this about?"

"We'll discuss it when we get there, come on." Elliot said, grabbing his arm and roughly pulling him up from his seat. Max resisted, trying to act tough by yanking his upper arm free from Elliot's hand, but his worried brow gave him away.

"No, I'm not going anywhere til I know what this is about." Max declared; a few people starting to notice the interaction.

Munch looked over his glasses at Max. "We're extending a little professional courtesy here, my friend," he said patronisingly. "No self respecting cop should be marched out of his own station in cuffs." Max nodded in agreement. "But if necessary," John threatened, stepping closer. "I will drag you out of here by your ass."

Max swallowed as he stood between the two tall cops, debating if they were serious. After a moment he conceded with a defeated sigh.

"Don't worry," Elliot smirked. "I'll wait for us to leave the building before I take your weapon." John passed him a was-that-necessary look; taking a cop's weapon was an insult, even to rookies.

xXx

Fin slouched in his chair; they'd been waiting for Elliot and John to return. Olivia flipped the file in her hands closed as she saw Elliot stride in to the squadroom. She jumped up expectantly, Fin twisted in his seat. "Well?"

Elliot looked at her but his expression gave away nothing. "He needed to use the head; John'll bring him up in a minute."

She licked her lips apprehensively. Fin merely nodded and turned back to his desk.

Elliot shrugged off his jacket and hung it over the back of his chair. "So honey how was your day?" he said in a sarcastic cliche.

She held her glare for only a second before taking her seat. "Lovely; if lovely means sitting behind a desk tracking the pervert who was once your CO."

He resisted the urge to sigh; the last thing he wanted was for Olivia to be filling her head with the life of that scum. Perhaps she should have picked up Swanson afterall.

"Liv," he began in a tone of comfort.

"Fin and I pulled the prison records," she interrupted.

"'Livia," he tried again.

"-we were thinking that whoever he's been communicating with,"

"Olivia." he interrupted a final time. Olivia set down the file and begrudingly looked at him.

"I can handle this Elliot."

His eyes connected with hers as he considered her statement. _'She can handle it? Nightmares, cold sweats and panic attacks? That's handling it?'_ But he didn't dare vocalise these doubts, not if he valued his life.

"Olivia!" Max shouted across the squadroom. Munch grabbed his shoulder and upper arm as he started towards her. Elliot and Olivia stood up, Fin following suit with a scowl on his face. She defensively folded her arms across her chest. "Olivia, what did you tell them? Bitch, what the hell did you tell them?" Elliot acrossed the room in only a few wide strides, Max's expression faltering as a bulldozer of a cop marched towards him. And with one final shove Max was propelled in to the interrogation room.

"Stay." Munch said, pulling the door shut. "You were saying?"

Olivia smirked, glad of the distraction. "Fin and I pulled the prison records. Harris has a spotless report, which is peculiar given the number of visits he's made to the infirmary." She couldn't help but smile at the thought.

"So I was right, he's the new squeeze on the block, popular in the showers." he chuckled.

"About time he got a taste of his own medicine." Fin nodded, gaining a smirk from Elliot.

Olivia took a breath as her memories tried to seep through, reminding her of just what Harris' idea of 'medicine' was. "I er-" she rubbed her forehead, unaware of Elliot was watching her with an analysing eye. "I checked his communications log- no visitations, no calls, no consultations."

"Ok, so he's been a bit lonely recently." Munch offered with a lop-sided shrug.

"Doubt it, sounds like his cell has been the brothel of the block; grabbed for a bit of rough 'n' tumble whether he's game or not." Elliot offered.

"Ok,ok, we get that he's being passed around, come on guys, focus." Olivia chided, wanting rid of the images building in her head, that certainly wasn't what they were discussing; crates, bars, baton to the stomach.

"Ok, ok, so he's had no communication with the outside world, that doesn't mean he didn't." Elliot said.

"Explain." Fin demanded in an agitated tone.

"We've already seen that he has the guards wrapped around his little finger, perhaps they looked the other way when he had a visitation, 'forgot' to add his visitor to the register. Perhaps they 'accidentally' left him in reach of an unmonitored cell phone."

Olivia sighed. "What is the point in catching the bad guy if he's treated like royalty when he's behind bars?" she demanded rhetorically, slamming down the file in her hands.

"Fin, anything better to report?" Munch asked, now crossing his long legs on his desk.

"Hardly. Runnin' with the idea of him workin' with an old cellmate, I crossreferenced his history with his cellmates-"

"My, my, Detective, that is a big word, I think you may have earned your salary today." John interrupted.

"Old man, you better-!"

"Fin." Olivia interrupted. "what did you find?"

Fin passed John a final scowl. "All his previous cellies are either still in jail or rehab programs upstate, all of which have 24-hour security cameras, so it would be pointless to consider them as suspects."

There was a long silence as Olivia dropped her head in to her hands. Elliot watched, wanting so desperately to whisk her up to the cribs; anything to make her feel better.

"I think Harris takes this Houdini thing a bit too seriously."

"John!" Elliot exclaimed. "It's called 'time and a place', can you keep your thoughts to yourself, just for once?"

John remained non-plussed.

"I better get this interview over with." Olivia muttered, heaving herself up. Elliot followed after her.

"Now look what you did, boney ass."

"Liv," Elliot said, falling in to stride. "I was thinking, tonight, maybe we could do something, take your mind off the case."

Olivia merely looked at him, _'Take my mind off the case? Seriously? When every other guy on the street could be the one looking to kill me?'_ "Sure El, we'll talk about it later."

He placed his hand on her forearm, his eyes searching. She forced a smile she knew he was looking for; he didn't like to see her upset.

Olivia turned the handle and stepped inside. Max was sat at the table, his head in his hands. He looked up when she entered.

"Bitch, what did you tell them?" he yelled, lunging that her.

**A/N Ok, I know it was totally evil ending it there but I had a sudden change of heart about the next chapter so I need more time to edit that, but I **_**will**_** post it on time (especially after such a long absence). Again Olivia is not feeling her best, but then again that just means Elliot gets to cheer her up ;) I wonder what Max has to say for himself, I'm sure Olivia will have a few choice words in return. XD What do you think? x**


	20. Chapter 20 Max Pain

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N Big review thank yous to Turquiosejem, SteffieDawn (still excited for your new idea ;) ), maerae93, Hutch917, spacekitten2700, DeLene, Lou3174, Amber77, courtneylovejason and Kristy6. You are all a major encouragement and make me feel so confident and positive. And thanks for being patient with me; I did say I would update every 3 days, but (just my luck) things get in the way, so thank you for sticking with it x**

**Thank you to fantasyinmymind (love the name btw lol) for adding a my story to your story alerts. **

**I started this chapter by repeating the ending of the last chapter to give it context and a bit of a refresher, seeing as it's been a while since I updated. Also, there's a slight flashback (Italics) for Olivia, (as I didn't want it to seem like she's suddenly over what she experienced, it would be unrealistic and naive to assume such a thing) that hints back at Harris. I had written this very differently, but just before I updated the last chapter I changed my mind. Before I had Olivia be very subtle and Max being very calm, but then I thought of this angle. Many have mentioned the last chapter being short and, to be honest, a bit boring, I know. I completely understand that, but if I had waited til I rewrote this chapter I wouldn't have posted the last chapter til today, which is an exceedingly long time. :) Hope you like it x**

Chapter 20- Max Pain

Olivia turned the handle and stepped inside. Max was sat at the table, his head in his hands. He looked up when she entered.

"Bitch, what did you tell them?" he yelled, lunging that her.

_He threw her against the wall, her body colliding in numbing pain. She braced to turn and run but before she could he was behind her, grounding his body against her._

Olivia's hands dropped the file and flew to Max's shoulders to balance herself as she ploughed her knee in to his groin.

Max let out a deep, throaty moan as he keeled over in agony, dropping to his knees. One hand clutchedat his groin, while the other groped at himself. Olivia let out a deep breath she hadn't realised she was holding. She paused only to pick up the file, ignoring Max beside it as he coughed with his eyes squeezed shut.

Olivia took her seat behind the table and sat waiting for Max to be released from the pain she had inflicted. After a minute or two, his breathing regulated and he dropped his hand from his groin, using it to push himself up. He turned to her with his face slightly red from his muscles being tensed so tightly.

"That was below the belt." he accused, supressing a groan as he tried to walk towards the seat. Olivia decided not to point out how obvious his statement was. He slowly lowered himself in to his seat.

"You know, I just don't get you," he further accused, his head tilted to one side. "You know, one minute your hot and the next you're a black widow. You should really see someone about that, there may be some underlying _mental_ issue."

She ignored him, knowing his insinuations were just an attempt to feel in control. Not much chance of that happening.

"I'm legally required to ask if you want an attorney present or your union rep?" she professionally asked, refusing to give in to his taunts.

"I don't need them; I didn't do anything!" he insisted. "Olivia, what did you tell them?" he asked in a quieter tone, a look of concern crossing him brow.

"It's Detective Benson." she corrected in a loud voice. She looked at him for a moment before opening the file. Her photograph was pinned inside, as well as a section of evidence photos, though they were thankfully tucked behind the report papers. "You're here as a suspect in an ongoing rape/murder investigation-"

"What? But I didn't do anything!" he pleaded.

She ignored his interruption. She placed a photograph on the table in front of him. "That is Martine Olivia. She was 36 when you murdered her-" she said with eagle eyes; monitoring his reaction.

"I did not murder her!" he interjection.

"-And raped her." she continued without break, not giving him a chance to deny it.

"I didn't rape anybody! This whole thing is ridiculous!"

"She was a prostitute, known for 'fraternising' with cops. Is that how you met her? Busted her for prostitution and decided to get your money's worth?" she goaded.

"I've never seen her before in my life." he said calmly yet insistently. "She's just another hooker who got whacked by her pimp." he said dismissively.

"No, she wasn't." Olivia rebuked. "She was brutally beaten, but there wasn't a mark on her face. I have it on good word from a collegue that a pimp would have targeted her face. Try again." she challenged, knowing eventually his excuses would run out.

He looked at the picture, growing increasingly panicked. "I don't know what to tell you. I don't know this woman, I've never see her before let alone raped and murdered her."

"She was attacked from behind." she pressed. "What, were you not man enough to give her a chance to fight back?" she said, trying to rile him up in an attempt to trip him in to admitting something.

His fist collided with the table. "I. Did not. Do this!" he almost yelled. "What evidence do you have to implicate me?" he demanded rhetorically. "You haven't charged me so I'm assuming you're running on a gut instinct. Does your Captain know you're targeting the ex?"

"You weren't an ex." she said without thinking, annoyed she's let him get to her. "It was one night and she didn't even get together. There was never anything between us, Max. This is _only _about the investigation."

"Oliv-_Detective_, I am _not _involved in this."

She pressed on further, used to the lies suspects usually spouted. "In the early hours of wednesday morning I was attacked."

"What? What happened? Are you ok?" he hurriedly asked, leaning closer.

"You hit me in the back of the head with a rock." she accused, earning a look of disbelief. "You tore open my blouse, pulled off my pants and left me to die in the park."

Behind the glass Elliot flinched as she declared the horrible truth.

"No, Olivia." he said with a conerned frown. "I wouldn't do that."

"But you did." she refuted.

"No I didn't!"

"Yes you did! You attacked me! Destroyed my home! You raped and murdered Martine Olivia! And then you killed April Benson! When that lab report comes back I'll have you for her rape too!"

"NO!" he yelled, jumping to his feet, banging his fist on the table once more. "I did not do those things! I am not guilty!"

"Sit down, Mr Swanson." Olivia ordered, not allowing him to intimidate her.

"No. I did not kill those women. I am not a rapist and I did not attack you." he said holding eye contact.

"You can say what you want but the evidence is piling up on you, Max. You were in my apartment Monday night. You took the spare key from my living room and then you went back."

"That's crazy, Olivia." he remarked, shaking his head.

"What did I do that made you so angry? Or was it what I _wouldn't _do that pissed you off?"

"Olivia, I told you the last time I was here; I saw your badge and your ID. That was all! There was no spare key." he denied. "I didn't do this." he stabbed with his finger at the photographs of Martine Olivia, pushing it away from him.

"You seem very confident of that."

"I think I would remember raping someone, Olivia." he sneered, leaning back in his chair and not looking at her.

"You know, usually the criminals can bare to look at photos of their handywork, so I guess you must be innocent for refusing to look at them, huh?" she asked. He cut a glance at her. She leaned across the table. "But as a cop you would know that. You know how to act innocent; so don't think for a second that your act is fooling me. We'll get you for this Max," she said, sliding the photos out in a line before him. "Because somewhere, somehow, you've slipped up; all perps do. We're going to find your DNA somewhere, and you're not going to be able to get away with this. You're _going _to prison." she firmly stated.

He sighed, tired of defending himself, and turned to face her. "Detective, I've already stated that I don't know what you're talking about." He piled the photographs back up and tossed them back at her. "And you're right, I'm a cop; so I know enough to see that you don't have anything to hold me on, this is all circumstancial. You have nothing that shows I took any key, went back in to your apartment and absolutely no evidence that places me in Central Park when you were attacked."

"How'd you know I was attacked in Central Park?" she demanded; she didn't remember telling him that detail, that was her holdback.

He looked at her for a second, their eyes linked for what felt like an eternity before he gave a short, brash laugh. "One of my buddies told me about it, said he heard your name mentioned and thought I should know, seeing as he thought we were 'dating'."

She now felt disgusted by the idea of being with Max, but she didn't believe him for a minute.

"Do you know any of these men?" she asked, sliding a six-mugshot lineup in from of him. Five of the men on the paper were ramdonly plucked from the system, but one was very familiar. One man on the paper was Lowell Harris. She watched Max's face, looking for a slightly raised eyebrow, a lick of his lips, repetitive blinking or a shift in his posture; any signs of recognition. But he was perfectly still. Too still for her liking. He gave nothing away.

His eyes quickly scanned the images. "Nope." he said innocently. "Sorry Detective, but I don't recognise any of these people." He handed it back to her.

"Have you ever been to Sealview Prison, Mr Swanson?" she challenged, pressing on to find some sort of connection.

He considered for a moment. "No, I don't ever recall visiting that institution."

"I could easily check your employment file." she warned.

"I'm aware of that." he remarked, a slight smile on his lips.

She remained quiet for a moment, he watched in satisfaction.

"You're a little fish, Olivia."

Her head shot up. "What did you call me?"

He held back a grin. "A fish. You're on a fishing expedition; you've got no evidence and yet you're fishing for answers."

She watched him in disbelief.

"You've never been to Sealview?" she asked doubtfully.

"No."

"And you've never met _Lowell Harris_?" she demanded.

"Who?"

"Stop with the games, Max!" she said jumping to her feet. "You did this! You killed these women and now you're messing with me! I'm going to get you for the crimes you've committed and-"

"Ha! 'Get' me? You don't even have anything to hold me on, Olivia." he taunted in smug satisfaction. "Now, I want to call me Captain; I think I should be back in work within the hour, don't you think?"

She observed the arrogant smile that crossed this face for only a moment before she gathered the file and stormed out.

John stood waiting for her as she shut the door. "He's right, Liv, all we've got is a hunch; nothing physically places him at the scene. If we arrest him we're opening ourselves up to a lawsuit."

She sighed, trust Munch to rub it in. "Give him his gun and get him out of here." she barked, shoving the file in to John's hands, and marching away. _'Nearly caught the bastard and he gets away on a damn technicality!'_

She headed up for the cribs, her place of solace. She was vaguely aware of someone following behind her, she walked faster, hoping they'd take the hint.

**A/N What do you think? I wanted this scene to be a bit of a confrontation, but not violent like the Harris interrogation. Also, a lot of you have settled on who you think the bad guy is, so I wrote this with areas open to interpretation. Did his friend really tell him about Liv in Central Park, or was it because he already knew she was there? Is he innocent or is he capable of acting innocent? Well, all I'm going to say is there is a big twist ahead, which I love, I'm just working on the fine details, the when/where/why details so it's straight in my head when I come to write it. Hoped you enjoy it, and it was worth the wait lol Reviews make me smile :) xx**


	21. Chapter 21Warrant

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N I know I've not updated in a VERY long time, but good news, my exams are finally out of the way, I'm going to update as regular. I'm aware you may have to read the chapter before or something to refresh your memory, I'm not offended if you have to, I wouldn't be surprised if you forgot about it completely.**

**I don;t know if you even remember writing these reviews, but thank you to maerae93, spacekitten2700, DeLene, lou3174, svuobsessed2011, courtneylovejason and SteffieDawn. My apologies for the long wait x Also thank you to windsor69 for adding me to favourite stories, and DeLene for adding to favourite author. As always, I'm humbled by your comments, you are all a major encouragement. Consider this chapter for you guys, the ones who keep reading and put up with my sporadic updates :P**

**This chapter picks up straight after the last one. Don't want to spoil anything, but I love Fin's timing in this chapter :P Second, the word count for this chapter is longer than usual, mainly because I wanted to fit a lot in to it, but also to try and make up for the hiatus. Hope you like it.**

Chapter 21-Warrant

Olivia burst in to the cribs and immediately started pacing. Elliot slipped in through the door as it almost slammed shut, quietly closing it instead.

"Liv-"

"I was him. He did it." she said, though he wasn't sure if she was saying it to him, as she shook her head and paced.

"Olivia," he tried again, stepping closer.

"It was Max! I'm certain of it!" she yelled, striding back and forth, a hand now on her hip.

"Liv, I know what a gut feeling is like, but at the minute there's no evidence to prove-"

"Oh, come on, Elliot!" she interrupted in disbelief. "Don't defend him." she warned.

"I am not defending him, I'm just saying- don't get ahead of yourself, don't get tunnel vision on this. If you focus too much on Swanson you forget to watch your own back."

"That's what you're for." she said, finally stopping in her tracks.

"I know, I know, but-" he reasoned, with a slight smirk. "But we've got to be smart about this; you go hounding Swanson and he'll run straight to his Captain for cover. We need evidence that places him at the scene, something airtight or he'll wriggle out of it again." Elliot moved towards her, sliding his strong hands up her arms and wrapping them around her back. "We'll get him, it's just going to take time." he assured.

"We?" she asked with a smile.

"Yeah, well," he replied sheepishly. "I think it would be irresponsible of me to let you take the lead on this one without adequate backup."

She would have chuckled but it was replaced with a deep sigh.

"I know this is tough, Liv, I get it-"

"No, you don't." she insisted. "All those people I've helped and the one time it matters I can't do anything about it."

"One time that matters? So all the cases you've solved and victims you helped, they didn't matter?" he asked doubtfully.

"You know that's not what I meant, of course they matter!" she insisted. "I just meant, that after all the people I've helped, I can't help myself."

"Yes, you can, 'Livia." Elliot insisted, hugging her tighter as he felt her begin to tremble. "You're doing it right now, you're working the case and trying to catch that bastard."

"He called me 'fish'." she said in a shaky voice.

"I heard Liv, and I know what that means," She held still, _'I don't remember telling him about that. Has he been speaking to Fin?'_

He stood holding her, her head resting gently on his strong chest, using his heartbeat as a regulator for her breathing, refusing to get upset again.

"I don't want to get in to this," she insisted. "We shouldn't be wasting time up here." She leaned away from his chest, wiping her eyes.

"I just don't want you to get hurt." he said almost inaudibly, taking her by surprise.

She gave a reassuring smile. "I promise I'll try my hardest not to get hurt."

"That's real comforting, Liv." he said sarcastically. He decided not to point out that she already had been hurt.

"So, about tonight-?" she began, trying to move the conversation to a lighter subject.

"Backing out on me? Need to wash your hair? Studying?" he asked in a constant stream of cliche excuses.

"No," she grinned. "I was going to ask what you had planned."

"Well I thought we could go for a carriage ride through the park, then dinner at the fanciest restaurant in town and then swing by my place perhaps."

"Really?" she asked skeptically. "I feel a 'but' coming on." He smirked. _'So perceptive,'_

"But...I thought Central Park wouldn't exactly be romantic given-given recent events," he said, dodging the topic. "And the fanciest restaurant in town needs to have reservations months in advance."

"So?" she led.

"So, I thought we could go the movies."

"Old school." she joked.

"Aren't I just?" he chuckled.

"I'd like that. But, swinging by your place, that's still on the menu, right?" she teased, bringing herself back closer to his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Definitely." he said a little too quickly. "It'll be the highlight of my evening."

"Sounds good." she said, leaning closer.

"Sounds very good." he said, capturing her lips.

An instinctive fire erupted within her body in a burning _need_ for him. His hands were already gliding across her curves and her heart was leaping in response. Their lips fought for dominance. Her breathing hitched as his fingers trailed under her shirt and up her stomach, and the door opened- _'Wait what?'_

"Oh, I see how it is." Fin said with a smirk as Olivia and Elliot jumped apart.

"Fin," Elliot said in surprise, glancing at Olivia. "Olivia was just a bit upset after the interrogation so-"

"So you thought your lips would help her feel better?" Fin interrupted with an amused expression.

_'The last thing I need is more office gossip about me.'_ Olivia began in panic. "Fin, we don't want anyone-"

"I didn't see anythin'." Fin interrupted, with a wink. "I just thought you should know, the report for April Benson's here."

"Already?" she asked.

"Melinda put a rush on it for us after what she found last night." Fin said, referring to the CO badge in the victim's panties.

"I'd better go and-" Olivia trailed off, pointing to the door and glancing awkwardly at Elliot, who she was surprised to see, was not the same shade of red she was. Olivia hastily ran her fingers through her hair and straightened her shirt as she headed out the door.

Elliot made to follow but Fin stood in his way.

"Are we going to have a problem?" Elliot challenged; he didn't give a damn what Fin thought of his relationship with Olivia and he couldn't care less to hear it.

Elliot tried to pass again but Fin's hand presses him back on his chest.

"I don't like to be touched." Elliot said firmly, a frown appearing on his brow.

"And I don't take any pleasure in touchin' you, believe me," Fin countered. "I just wanna give you a message." he added.

Elliot stepped back and huffed, expecting a lecture.

"You hurt Olivia and I'll hurt you." Fin said bluntly.

"Oh really?" Elliot mused.

"Yes, really. You may think you're the only one around here who cares Stabler, but Baby-girl's like a sister to me. So you make her happy and you'll have no complaints from me."

Elliot thought about challenging Fin on why he thought he cared what he thought, but he couldn't deny that he admired the protective streak Fin was displaying, especially if it would keep Olivia safe.

Elliot cleared his throat. "While I don't like you insinuating that I even _could_ harm Liv, I appreciate the sentiment. On Olivia's behalf, at least."

"I'll take that as a understandin'." Fin said. His scowl loosened as he gave a lopsided shrug. "'Bout time you two hooked up anyhow."

Elliot chuckled as Fin headed back out the door with his usual strut. He and Fin weren't exactly 'friends' but they were a team, and they looked out for each other. Elliot couldn't complain; the more people watching Olivia's back the better, even if he did prefer to do it himself.

xXx

Elliot and Fin headed to the squadroom side by side, for once, in a mutual respect. Elliot didn't miss Olivia's curious glances in their direction. She was already busy tacking new papers and photographs to the board, alongside her own and Martine Olivia's. April Benson's last photograph was pinned up, her skin pale and eyes closed.

"You got the report?" Elliot said, Fin diverting off to his own desk.

"Yeah," she answered, a small frown appearing. "Doesn't make much sense though; this attack was very different from mine and the first victim."

Elliot didn't like how she grouped herself with the victims, even if it was true; he hated to see her weak and helpless, and yet that's when her boundaries were lowest; she let him in.

"How so?" As he skim-read the file the differences were already jumping out at him.

"Well for starters the women are completely different. Martine Olivia was dirty, unwashed, her hair was greasy and she was a hooker. April Benson was clean, her nails were clean and her clothes were pressed. She was a cop, for Christ's sake."

"So they were just chosen for their names, like Huang said." Fin interjected.

"What? The perp just happened to attack two women with the same name, one less than 100 yards from me and the other around the corner from my precinct?" she asked with growing doubt and skepticism. "Fin, come on, the mere chance..."

"I didn't mean they were chosen randomly, the perp must have _picked_ them for their names."

"You think he tracked them down somehow?" Elliot considered.

"Records!" Olivia suddenly exclaimed as the idea jumped to mind. "Max is a cop, so he can look at my file, see when and where I went to Academy. It would be easy enough to see who went there with me."

"Ok, so they got the same name, that don't mean they're connected; one was raped, the other wasn't even assaulted." Fin rebuked.

"Liv, public records-"

"I know Elliot but just suppose." she pleaded. He was going to argue tha tpublic records are accessible by almost everyone, or in other words, it might not be Max. She didn't have the time or the energy to waste arguing so she pressed on.

"He got the records and tracked April down through...the phonebook." She knew it sounded like she was grasping at straws.

Elliot could see her need to be right, he granted her that chance. Besides, she hated when he argued the thruth and he wanted to stay in her good books. He pulled open his bottom draw and pulled out a copy of the phonebook; more useful than first thought. He flipped to 'B', aware of Olivia eager for answers by his side.

He sighed. "She's not in here, Liv. No one under the name April Benson." He passed her apologetic look.

"Anyone could have made an inquiry." she tried again. "Go in to any precinct and ask for her; get her badge number and where to find her. Then all he had to do was wait for an opportunity."

She waited, watching Elliot as he crossed his arms and watched her back.

"Ok," he finally conceded.

She passed him a grateful look.

"But hold up," Fin interrupted, striding to the board. He tapped a piece of pinned up paper with his pen.

"April Benson wasn't raped, you can't overlook that to fit with a suspect, Liv."

"They were in an alleyway, he didn't want to risk getting caught." she challenged.

"He can stalk and beat a cop, kill and rape a woman, murder another only to get stage fright?" he asked skeptically. "'Sides, women have been raped in far more public places than an alleyway."

He had a point and she knew it, but she didn't want to admit it if it meant a step back from Max as a suspect; the more they opened it up for discussion the more likely they were to find holes that Max could slip through. Elliot could feel her frustration rolling off in waves; he could read her like a book, even when it was closed as she often was.

"Ok, look Liv, why don't we go back to the file, focus on the facts before we speculate?" he offered, careful of his wording that could easily be constrewed by a pissed off Benson.

After a moment she defeatedly grabbed the file. "Fine." She gave a sigh. "Cause of death- asphyxiation. The suffocation was not due entirely to lack of Oxygen. The rebreathing of exhaled Carbon Dioxide contributed to airway restriction. Victim would have lost consciousness within approximately a minute. It was most likely a plastic bag or material was placed across her face, evidence found in the throat concurs. Bruising around the mouth suggest a hand was also held in place." Liv continued to skim read.

"Bastard covered her mouth so she couldn't even scream." Fin said with a look of disgust.

"Explains why no one heard anything." Elliot said, watching Olivia buried herself in the horrific details. She suddenly flipped over a page in urgency.

"What?" Elliot asked as he saw her frown.

"Melinda said she found green plastic in the victim's throat-"

"So? She must have bitten down on the bag." Fin shrugged. His phone rang and he excused himself. "Tutuola."

"All the bags in the dumpster were black refuse bags." she stated to Elliot.

"He took it with him." Elliot said, finally catching on.

Fin hung up. "You better call Casey; that was CSU, the badge Melinda found in the victim's panties matched the badge number issued to Lowell Harris." His eyes didn't wander from Olivia's. "And it gets better; fingerprint was found on the badge."

Olivia smiled triumphantly. "I'll call Sealview." She reached for her phone.

"It's not Harris' print, Olivia." Fin called.

"Well then, whose the Hell is it?" she demanded, phone still in hand.

"Max Swanson's."

xXx

Nearly 45 minutes later, Olivia, Elliot and several uniformed officers were waiting outside Max's apartment. Olivia paced from wall to wall between the width of the corridor, eager to rummage through Max's things to find the hard evidence she needed.

"How long does it take to get a piece of paper?" she demanded. Elliot didn't answer, he'd learned that sarcastically answering a rhetorical question did not go down well. "Come on." she whined under her breath.

Elliot's phone rang. Olivia spun to look at him. She waited eagerly.

"Fin? Yeah...and?" Their eyes met as she searched for signals. Elliot hung up. "Break it." he commanded. A uniformed officer stepped up with a heavy, red enforcer and blasted the door open. Olivia immediately headed inside, determined to nail with SOB.

She strode confidently in to the apartment, already beginning to spot potential hiding places. Elliot was hot on her heels.

"Olivia, wait, no." he called. "You can't be seen to collect anything from here, Liv, you know that." he said, stepping in to line with her.

But she wasn't listening, she was already heading for a cabinet. "If you touch anything it gives Swanson reasonable doubt." Elliot challenged.

Olivia stopped dead in her tracks, considering. She didn't want to be the reason Swanson got off on a technicality. Again.

"If I find anything, I'll call you straight over." she muttered to him as the uniformed officer filed past. He could tell from her stalling that she was waiting for an answer.

"Ok."

She pulled a fresh set of white, latex gloves from her pocket, snapped them on and headed straight to the cabinet. Behind her the uniformed officers were scoping out the others rooms, weapons drawn. Elliot stayed in the main room, his gun out, but watching over Olivia.

A chorus of 'clear' echoed through the rooms. Elliot holstered his gun and headed over to Liv.

"Anything?"

"Books, DVDs and..." she hesitated as she lifted a stack of adult magazines from the bottom shelf. "Disgusting." she muttered and she dropped them to the floor. She crossed the room to a small bookshelf. She yanked books from the shelf, one-by-one, shaking them by the covers. Once they revealed nothing she disregarded them to the floor, like the magazines, producing a thin dust cloud from the unvaccumed carept. Elliot watched on.

"Detective," came a voice, a uniformed cop. "Would you like us to begin searching the other rooms?"

"No." Olivia said, before Elliot could answer.

She continued demolishing the bookshelf, pulling it over and checking nothing was taped to the underside.

"Detective, the search would go a lot faster if-"

"I said no!" she yelled, rounding on him. "Get out." she demanded, pointing to the door.

The uniformed officers were gathering in the main room at the raised voices. They looked to Elliot.

"I said get out. Now!" she ordered, agitated that they thought she needed Elliot's permission.

They hesitated but slowly edged towards the front door. Olivia dropped her arm and watched them exit. Once they shut the door she turned her attention back to the shelf, but as she saw it knocked over and spilling its contents, she looked around again. The apartment itself was quite bare, besides the television and its assortment of gadgets.

"Liv,"

"I'm fine Elliot; there's enough people involved in this as it is, I don't need sloppy rookies messing up the search." she answered irritably.

She pulled the TV from the stand, causing the screen to smash and scatter glass across the stained carpet. Elliot frowned; perhaps she was a bit too worked up, but then again, criminals had been known to hide drugs, money or evidence within the back. She kicked over his games console, which Elliot knew- from Dickie's constant moaning- was very expensive; Kathy had spitefully beaten him to buying it, in an attempt to be the more favourable parent.

She stomped on the plastic controllers, watching as the buttons flew off in all directions. Elliot could see the satisfied gleam in her eyes. He knew it was probably over the top, she knew there wasn't anything hidden inside them, she was just gaining a little justice for her photos, her jewellery, all the memories he had destroyed and tainted by what he had done. Elliot shed his jacket and laid it over the back of the couch. He folded up his sleeves, noticing the appreciative smile she was giving him.

"I'll check the couch. Why don't you have a look in the other rooms." he offered; he didn't want her getting cut up by the- more than likely- rusty couch springs, especially not while she was so worked up.

She nodded and headed to the bathroom. Her first impulse when she entered was to heave; filthy beyond belief, he had clearly never thought of tidying up after himself. He didn't have a wash basket, his dirty clothes were piled in one corner-festering in dust and mold-she didn't even dare shift them with her foot. The window was grimy, as was the walls and shower curtain, which- from what she could see- _used_ to be light green. The tiles were stained, the sealant was browning and the tub itself had stains in the bottom, which she could only guess came from not emptying the dirty water after her had bathed. She didn't understand how such as clean person could have such a dirty home. She yanked open the crack-mirror-doors of his medicine cabinet, it held only a blunt razor, a half empty bottle of shower gel and and empty aspirin container. She turned on her heel in frustration, she was determined to find what she needed.

She booted open the door to his bedroom. He hadn't bothered to make up his bed this morning, or even change the sheets in a while she guessed. The covers were tatty and frayed at the corners, stained- she didn't even want to think about what those stains might be-, the pillows unbelieveably thin and aged.

She spied his closet, half opened. She forced the door open as it caught on the matted carpet. Her skin crawled at the idea of living in such dirty conditions. She yanked the cord of the bulb above her head, which blinkered and finally came on so dim that it made little difference. Several boxes were piled up on a shelf, his shoes were dumped haphazardly in an assortment on the ground and his clothes- surprisingly- were on hangers. She proceeded to tear his clothes out, not caring if they snagged on the bent and sharpened ends of the hangers. She threw them over her shoulder, allowing them to fall where they made. Once the few hangers that remained were bare she grasping at the boxes, pulling them and allowing them to burst open as they hit the floor. She rummaged through desperately, it was surprising how often people hid things in their closet in the misapprehension that no one would look there. Her fingers trawled across old sports awards, newspaper clippings and- again, she noted with a roll of the eyes- adult magazines. She kicked the box aside and pulled down another.

A pistol and box of ammunition clattered out and on to the floor. She knew as soon as she saw it that the gun had never been cleaned, the grip was laden with dirt from general use- the accumulation of transfer from hands that had held it. But also that the presence of such grime indicated that it hadn't been used recently. She huffed on. She lifted the final box, smaller than the others, down in a hurry with an overriding _need_ to find something burning within her. She flipped off the lid and fell to her knees in a final triumphant sigh. She smiled as she surveyed the contents. Newspaper clippings- her own face shining up at her. Yellow sticky notes, heavily creased, but legiable, with her address on, her badge number, and her cellphone number. She lifted them out of the way to see what was underneath. A pair of white, latex gloves. Her smile broadened.

"Elliot!" She heard his hurried footsteps, aware of how uneven her voice sounded.

He burst in to the room, her back was to him as she knelt on the floor.

"What's wrong?" he urgently asked. She smiled up at him, noticing the confusion expression that now formed on his features. She slid the box over to him.

"Have I got tunnel vision now?" she challenged. He helped her to her feet.

"You were never in this room, you didn't find this, you didn't even see it." he said firmly, knowing she could be accused of planting; bias and finding evidence without a witness present.

She merely nodded, surprised at how blissfully happy she was; she finally had the bastard. Something caught her eye, she picked up the lid to the box; written on the underside, scrawled in pencil was "Bitch now you die". She handed it to Elliot.

She saw his frown deepened, his thinking face, she recognised. Her handed the lid back to her and headed across the room. She had avoided the bed so far, or in other words, avoided the filthy sheets, but Elliot tossed the mattress without bother. She stepped up and saw that the bed did not have panels underneath like hers did, it was a solid base. And hidden there was a black refuse bag. Elliot, who already had his gloves on, gripped the bottom and upended it. From the bag fell a photoframe and a book. She frowned but as she stepped closer she realised what it was. It was a year book, listing all the people in the same year at highschool. Elliot flipped over the photoframe. The glass had been removed, but it wasn't empty. Olivia's Police Academy Graduation photo was held within. Circled in thick red pen was Olivia, much younger, yet still as beautiful; her hair a lot shorter. A few rows up and along, was another woman circled in the same way. April Benson.

Before Olivia could comment Elliot had already picked up an unsealed envelope. "To besotted and evidence." Elliot pulled out the folded paper, trying to touch it as little as possible. Olivia's already growing frown deepened as she read the stream of seemingly nonsence words.

**"loW evil On ideal, fiery unhinged hesitator, yeah up profound voyeur. Beaten tumorous vigor. Tame creepier heroes hazy hot gluttonize hot shut up. wholeSome weary voucher he's the hero's elaborate bag of wind. -CO"**

"What the hell?" she muttered.

"This guy trying to write Shakespeare or something?" he asked rhetorically. He set down the evidence, hoping someone from CSU would be able to make more sense out of it.

But he didn't miss the sender- "-CO". He doubted it was a coincidence. _'When will her nightmare end?'_ he silently pleaded to himself.

**A/N Well? Worth the wait? :/ I had very little dialogue in the search scene; I wanted to focus on Olivia, and that the search for her was more of a justice and personal experience. I deliberately wanted Max's 'home' to be disgusting, I initially wrote it as a really nice place, possible suspicions about how he can afford so much on a cop's salary etc, but then I thought that actually he wouldn't be able to afford much of anything, and the apartment is a bit of a metaphor- we see Max (at the start) as a bit of a 'gent' (using the word lightly), he's clean and polished, Liv says herself that he's 'perfect'. But then we see the apartment and the real him and see that's it's disgusting, dirty and should be avoided. Final thing, don't worry if the note in the envelope is confusing and makes so sense, it's deliberate- it will be explained in the next chapter. The reference to Shakespeare- as I was writing the note my friend looked over my shoulder and actually asked if I was writing Shakepeare (because it was so confusing, not good XD) so I HAD to put that in. lol xx **


	22. Chapter 22 Swallowed Up

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N Major thanks to svuobsessed2011, spacekitten2700, SteffieDawn, courtneylovejason and maerae93 for your fantastic reviews. And also to ShipperFor You for adding to favourite stories.**

**A major gap since my last update but in all honesty I did hit writers' block, I was struggling to get the words from my head to the paper. This might sound strange, but for those you have experienced Writers' Block before, you know exactly what I mean lol**

**This chapter is a bit longer than usual, thought it was fair given the extended time. I have changed my plan slightly of where this is headed, next chapter is going to be the Swanson interview, which I'm excited for myself lol Hope you like it x**

Chapter 22-Swallowed Up

Olivia sat at her desk, reclined against the back of her chair, a satisfied smile played on her lips. She knew it wasn't over; the searching of Max's apartment had raised as many questions as it answered. She smiled up at Elliot as he planted a cup of coffee in front of her. Her favourite blend from her favourite store; she spied the logo.

"For the determined Detective." he charmed.

"You forgot, 'smart', 'brave' and downright 'gorgeous'." she grinned.

"No I didn't," Elliot smirked. "I just thought I would spare Fin the details." he chuckled, shedding his jacket.

"Appreciated." Fin muttered as he strolled past, heading out of the squadroom.

Elliot had just signed in all the evidence from the search, insistent that none of it be traceable back to Olivia. She smirked to herself again; she was finally getting somewhere with locking this bastard away.

"I'm looking for a Detective Benson." Olivia turned to see a 14-16 years old boy with a rucksack, his eyes scanning the room.

"That's me. Why don't you take a seat?" she ushered.

He gave her a quizzical look, but sat anyway.

"Ok, you're here; you can trust us." she soothed, reaching for a pen and notepad.

The frown on his expression continued to grow. "Ma'am, I'm just here to give you something."

She frowned as he lifted his rucksack from his back and dug something out of it. He handed her a slim, pink box, the kind you would get if a department store gift wrapped for you. Had Elliot gotten her a gift? That didn't make sense; she couldn't remember when he would have had the opportunity. And if he already had it then why didn't her just give it her himself. She looked across at him to see Elliot's confused and jealous eyes on the box; he obviously had no clue what it was; though from the small heart pattern, he definitely wanted to know who was sending her such things.

She lifted the lid off and set it aside. She folded back the tissue paper to find- her own underwear? That she hadn't seen since before her home was wrecked.

"Is this a joke?" she asked.

"Your husband likes kinky underwear,huh?" the kid asked with an eager, juvenile gleam in his eyes and a smile.

"Do you think this is funny?" she challenged.

His face fell at her sudden outburst. "Ma'am?"

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" she yelled at him, getting to her feet and towering over him. He hastily got to his feet, his eyes wide as he stood before Olivia and Elliot approached him. Elliot edged closer to see what was in the box. He hadn't 'personally' seen them before, but he did recognise them, Olivia had a habit of leaving her clean laundry basket in view of her guests.

"Where did you get these?" Elliot demanded.

"I just got told to deliever them. I didn't even know what it was." the boy fumbled, his face growing red.

"Who told you to do this?"

"Someone a few blocks away gave me $20 to deliever it, I figured it was a surprise for someone." He seemed genuine.

Elliot and Olivia looked at each other. "Empty your pockets." Elliot ordered, snapping on a single latex glove.

The kid fumbled again in a hurry, depositing a pack of gum, a creased $20 dollar bill and a condom on to Olivia's desk. Elliot lifted the condom, with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, man," the young guy muttered, as though he had been busted by his parents.

"Got plans tonight, stud?" Elliot questioned.

"One of my friends gave it to me."

Elliot clearly read the lie, as he dropped it in to the trash. "What are you, 14?"

"I'm 15!" he argued. "In 2 weeks." he added.

Elliot rolled his eyes. "How would your mother feel about this?"

He saw panic in the boy's eyes. "There's no need to call my mom, it's not illegal to have contraception and all I did was deliver a package."

"Yeah, possibly for a rapist and a murderer."

The boy's resolve seemed to crumble. "Am I in trouble?"

"Depends; think you can ID this person who gave you the package?" Elliot asked.

"No, they kept their hood up."

Olivia sighed. "Elliot, he doesn't know anything. Hey," she tossed the gum to the boy. "Get out of here."

"Do I get my money back?" he asked hopefully, eyeing the bill in Elliot's hand.

"No, and be thankful I'm not having a car escort you back to your parents." Olivia's threat seems genuine enough for him to quickly head for the door.

Olivia glanced down at the box. She didn't even want to think what those stains were. Something caught her eye, she eased it out to see it was a card, similar to what came with flowers. She flipped it open and read outloud.

_"Dear Olivia, our last meeting was just as eventful as the first, perhaps the next one will be the same. By now, you will have your evidence. Analyse it and be one step closer to me. Freedom smells so sweet."_ she finished hollowly.

_'Freedom? He got out?' _she panicked, her hand subconsciously resting on her gun.

"No, Liv," Elliot calmed. "He's just trying to scare you; make you lose focus." He could see it wasn't working. "I promise, I will _always_ protect you. I'll even call the prison and have the warden personally check on him. Ok?"

After a moment she blinked and looked up at him. "I'm sorry, what?"

He gave a nervous chuckle, increasingly concerned about her welfare. Over her shoulder, he saw Fin and John marching in Swanson.

"Swanson for questioning-again." John said.

Swanson spied the gift box and Olivia's expression- and passed her a knowing smirk that made her feel sick. She turned away while they took him to Interrogation, taking deep breaths.

"Scared?" Elliot asked, stepping beside her with his arms folded and leaning against her desk. He knew the question wasn't even applicable to her, or at least he liked to think so. And even though she glared her answer to him in denial, he knew there were times she'd been terrified, times she had still not told him about.

"I am _not_ scared of Swanson." she insisted. "I'm just..." she sighed and rubbed her neck, hiding a wince. She dropped her hand and looked for a suitable answer.

Elliot dropped his arms and placed them on her hips, bringing her in front of him. She leaned her back against his chest, warming by the contact and loving the firm pressure from his muscles. His crotch fit snugly behind her, meaning she had to hide the desire that rose in her chest. She felt his strong hands on her shoulders, gently grazing up to her neck. His firm yet delicate fingertips kneaded her muscles, easing the tension they held. She sighed at the ease his ministrations caused.

"I just," she determinedly continued, allowing her hands to lower to his thighs either side of her, and grip them gently. "-feel a little tired." In all honesty she was exhausted, but she knew she had to keep working.

"Mm-hmm." he simply responded, his warm breath tickling her neck as he leaned closer, his hand sliding down her arms to take her hands. His hands remained in hers as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He placed a quick kiss on the exposed base of her neck and rested his chin there, unaware of the shivers he'd caused to run down her body. His lips were inches from her ear as she heard his soft words escape. "Why don't we leave the movies tonight, I'll take you home instead."

She smiled at his reference of _his_ apartment being _her_ home. But she still felt guilty. "No, you've obviously been thinking about tonight for a while and I don't want to spoil it. I'll just drink plenty of coffee and..."

"Liv, I'm not going to take you out if all you're thinking about is going to bed, it's unfair on you."

She smirked, seeing the inuendo in his words, even though she knew he didn't mean it that way.

"I'm taking you home; you can take a shower, have a glass of wine and relax." he placed another kiss on her neck. She gave a noticable shiver, he smiled and moved to rub her upper arms.

"You know Stabler, you really need to get to grips with this 'professionalism in the workplace' thing." she grinned, twisting slightly to look up at him.

"Oh yeah?" he smirked, leaning clsoer. Their lips barely touched when Fin hurried in. Elliot sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Break it up, Cragen's on his way." Fin called.

Olivia immediately stepped away from and Elliot strided to his own seat. He had barely sat when Cragen stormed in.

"What the hell to you think you were doing?" he bellowed.

Elliot and Olivia exchanged a fleeting glance of panic.

"Captain, it's not what-"

"Do you have any idea how much ammunition you've just gave the defence?"

"Please, Captain you don't understand-" Olivia tried again.

"No, you don't understand. Do you have any idea how suspicious trashing his apartment is going to look?" he demanded.

Olivia and Elliot exchanged another glance, their hearts releasing the vice-like grip they had be holding. Olivia sighed.

"Tearing through his apartment for revenge is a hinderence, Olivia." Cragen said, his eyes latching on to hers.

"It wasn't Olivia." Elliot challenged. He stood up, his stance wide. "I searched the apartment."

Cragen merely looked at him, an unbelieving look in his eye.

"So you were the one who deliberately broken his games consoles and smashed open his TV?" Cragen doubted.

Elliot nodded. "Criminals have been known before to unscrew the back of their television sets in order to stash something, I've seen it before."

"And his bookshelf?" Don pressed.

"He could have hidden things between the pages." Elliot simply said.

"That's bull, Elliot, and you know it! You let Olivia go through his stuff like a bulldozer and you didn't think to stop her."

"I did what was necessary." Elliot said calmly, for once in his life, not letting his temper get the better of him.

"And what was that?" Don demanded at the top of his voice.

"I had her back!" Elliot boomed back. He took a few breaths to steady himself. Elliot could tell Don didn't believe a word of it, but he also knew he would cover for her too if anyone called them out on it; anything to protect her. "I signed in all the evidence, it's under _my_ name, and if anyone asks, I found it all. Olivia was there purely as a observationary officer to witness evidence collection."

"I'm sorry, Cap', I-" Olivia tried.

"I don't want to hear it." Cragen interrupted. "Swanson is being held til morning, so you two get your faces out of my sight for the rest of the day. _Unfocused_ Detectives are useless." he strode off, leaving Olivia almost wounded by his accusation. She sat back down as her eyes watered.

"Liv, don't listen to him."

"No, he's right."

"Olivia, you're a damn good cop, just because your got too involved-"

"_Too involved_? Could I be any more involved, Elliot? This whole case is surrounding _me!_ But he's right, you even told me, I have a conflict of interest. I should have took a step back."

She piled up the paperwork on her desk and put it in the draw. She sighed. "I don't want to argue about this."

"Nothing to argue about."

She read his tone of voice and heard the sincerity.

"Let's just go home." he offered.

He gathered his things while he reached for her coffee. Cold. _"Damn it.'_ She knew he'd gone to the effort, her store was almost 20 blocks from his route. '_Wonder if we can order Chinese when we got home._' She smiled. Home? Perhaps being with Elliot in a long-term wouldn't be so difficult afterall, they'd already been together for years anyway.

xXx

Elliot's hands hadn't left her body since he had first placed them there. In the car, his hand held hers as he drove. His hands grazed her hips as they waited for the elevator. His lips captured hers as soon as the doors slid shut, only to begrudgingly tear away when they slid open again to reveal his elderly neighbour. She smiled coyly as they edged passed her, muttering apologies. They quickly headed inside, stifling their laughs.

Once the door was closed, she punched him lightly on the arm, sharing a smile.

"I'm going to take a shower." she said, sashaying away.

She heard his murmured acknowledgement as he rifled through his kitchen drawers. She saw him pull a Chinese menu out as she closed the door.

The bathroom was already warm from the large radiator on the side wall. She retrieved a fresh towel, dropped it over the side of the bathtub and quickly stripped down. She reached for the shower but her hand instinctively hesitated.

_'What if the water runs cold again?'_ she thought. She looked down at her hip that already had a light flourishing of purple. She dropped her hand and edged back from the bathtub. She hated to feel scared and helpless, so how could she do something that would lead her to feeling that way? _'I can't, I can't, I can't,'_ she chanted over and over in her head, her eyes fixed on the showerhead. She couldn't step under the freezing stream of water that would take her back to Sealview. She hastily wrapped the towel around herself, suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable. She felt pathetic for cowering away from a shower, she had been in gun fights for Christ's sake! But the fear was overwhelming and she couldn't move past it. She closed her eyes tight, trying to concentrate._'I'm at Elliot's, I'm safe. I'm home, it's going to be ok. I can do this. I _can_ do this!'_ But as she looked up, she still couldn't bring herself to turn the water on.

There came a soft knocking at the door. She cursed herself; could this situation get any worse?

"Liv? Are you ok in there?"

"I-I'm fine, El." she answered, hearing just how uneven her voice was. There was a moment of silence as she prayed for him to just leave so she could regain herself.

"It's just, you've been in there a while now...but I don't hear any water running."

She choked up at his words, holding in her sobs to remain silent.

"I'm coming in, ok?" She could tell her permission was irrelevant, he was determined to check on her.

She cursed herself for forgetting to lock the door as he opened it freely. She avoided his eyes as he looked her over, seeing the embarressment in her expression, even though she was trying to hide it.

"Ah, Liv," he muttered, concern clear in his eyes.

"Hey, El," she said, a hollow chuckle escaping her lips.

He moved closer, sitting on the edge of the bathtub beside her.

"Let me guess- you're fine?" She knew he wasn't looking for an answer; she didn't have one even if he did.

"Panic attacks." was all he said. She merely nodded and then heard his deep release of breath. "Ok." he said acceptingly. He'd witnessed her attack in the interrogation room, but it was obviously more extensive. "How often?"

"I'm not a ticking bomb, Elliot." she retorted.

"Come on Liv, don't get defensive, I just want to help you."

She knew it was true, all he ever thought about was her. And he would never think differently of her, not matter what she had done. Or had done _to_ her. She took a deep breath.

"They're not a recurring problem, and I don't think they're going to be." she simply said, pointlessly hopeful that he would drop the issue.

"How many have you had them?"

She sighed. "Only the two but-"

"Two?" he interrupted; he was only aware of the one, he had only asked to see if she was willing to talk about the interrogation room, not with the expectation of more incidents.

She ducked her head and stood up. She saw his expression change in the expectation she was leaving, she merely said "Just look."

She stood up, clutching the towel against the body. She placed her leg between the overlap of the fabric, revealing high up her thigh, and the flowering bruise on her hip. Elliot's eyes hardened at the sight.

"Who hurt you?" he demanded, a deep frown appearing.

Olivia took her seat once more, eager to hide the evidence of her loss of control. "Nobody hurt me Elliot, it was my own fault, I slipped-"

"Oh, really? Like you could easily walk in to a door?" he said doubtfully.

"I had a panic attack in the shower and I fell." she admitted, hating how weak she felt. She could see his brain working overtime to connect the dots. "The water ran cold and I flashedback to Sealview. I slipped and fell."

"In the tub?"

She hesitated, knowing he could see right through her. "No, on the floor." There was another moment of silence as he waited. "I panicked and jumped from the water and I..." she sighed. "I...dove, on to the floor." She hated how silly it sounded.

"Liv-"

"It wasn't a choice Elliot, it was a reflex, before I knew anything I was already on the floor."

There was a heavy silence that, to Olivia, felt almost suffocating. "Feel free to run a mile, if necessary." she muttered, readying herself for his rejection, no longer wanting to be with her now he knew the extend of her issues.

"I'm not going anyway." he shrugged, when her eyes met his. He lowered himself down on to his knee in front of her, encasing her hand within his own strong pair. "Olivia, when are you going to realise that I'm in this for the longrun? I know you said go steady but I don't feel like we need to. We have been partners for years, best friends the entire time, I can't imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone but you."

He saw her lips tug either side, a tell-tale sign she was supressing a smile.

"I know we have a lot to work through and it's going to be difficult...but I'm going to be here for all of it. Beside you." He leaned up and placed a kiss at the corner of her mouth, kissing the shadow of her smile. "Now come on." he said, guiding her up.

"What?" she asked as she rose to her feet.

Elliot said nothing, but instead reached over and switched on the shower. The sudden spurt of water made her jump a little, her eyes wide at Elliot.

She shook her head at him, her eyes dancing between his and the stream of water. "I can't do this," escaped her lips.

"Yes, you can." Elliot encouraged. She shook her head over and over as she felt his hand on hers. He delicately eased her hand from the towel, the blood instantly flowing back to her whitened knuckles. Her determination not to let go was the desire to stay as far away as possible from the shower, but also to keep herself covered. Revealing her body to Elliot in the throes of passion was one thing, but standing naked in front of him, with no heat-of-the-moment to cloud his vision was another. But his expert fingers finally won as she loosened her grip.

She felt selfconscious yet beautiful; she couldn't help feeling exposed, but how could she not love how his eyes lingered on her body. He placed a quick kiss on the back of her hand, before reaching up and pulling his shirt over his head. She almost went weak at the knees as she watched his muscles ripple and flex from the movement. He disgarded his shirt and then his pants to the floor. In one quick movement he was as naked as her. He confidently stepped in to the tub and held out his hand to her.

She merely looked at it as a worried crease clouded her forehead.

"Liv, I promise nothing is going to hurt you."

She took a shuddering breath and clasped his hand, allowing him to pull her closer. She stood facing the shower, with Elliot between her and the stream. He stepped back, and again, guiding her with him, bringing her closer to the water; more more accurately- the possibility of confronting Sealview. She held his eyes, seeing his calculating view as he monitored her emotions.

"No," she murmured. "Elliot, please, I can't."

"I know you can Olivia. I know how strong you can be...but I think maybe you've forgotten. Trust me?"

"I trust you." she answered instinctively.

He pulled her even closer, bringing the warm stream of water down on her. She took a breath as he encircled her with his strong arms. He moved closer, allowing the water to run down her back. He knew it was coming, as did she, the icy cold flow of water thanks to his rubbish plumbing. He could feel her heart pounding against his chest, her hands clenching at his lower back. He stepped forward with her, sharing the downpour.

His spine seized as the freezing water splashed down him. Olivia threw her body against him, her nails digging in his skin, yearning for the warmth and escape.

"It's ok, I'm here." he soothed, his arms locked around her.

Flashes flooded her vision. _Bars. Orange jumpsuits. Freezing water like knives, stabbing all over her body._

"You can do this." Elliot whispered, her ear tingling from his brushing breath.

Her grip eased as the water began to turn, the icy edge weakening as it warmed. Her breathing slowed, escaping in deep gasps. But he held her just as tight as her nails held him. Soon the water was blustering steam around them. Her nails unclenched, her heart slowed considerably and her vision became clear again as her tears merged with the water.

Elliot placed his finger under her chin and guided her eyes to his. As soon as she saw the crystal blue she felt safe again. There were no bars, only Elliot's strong arms. And definitely no orange jumpsuits as their now wet bodies melted perfectly together. The water now erupted down their forms, swallowing up in steam as they embraced passionately.

"My beautifully strong Liv,"

**A/N I wanted Liv to have a recovery moment with Elliot, and I thought the whole panic attacks thing needed to be discussed. I love how their relationship is more stable now, especially with what's planned further in the story.**


	23. Chapter 23 Captured

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N Thanks to lollipop781 for adding to story alerts and favourite stories, and also kande mathews who added to favourite stories. Thanks to Amber77, courtneylovejason, SteffieDawn, lou3174, spacekitten2700 and new shining star- Lady Riss for all your fantastic reviews, you all spur me on and keep me encouraged xx**

**I intended to post this sooner but got a little sidetracted. I have come up with an idea for my next story, I got so caught up I had written the first chapters before I realised I hadn't finished this chapter lol **

Chapter 23- Captured

Olivia awoke the next morning in a flurry; eager to get back to the precinct and throw Max in jail. Elliot, it seemed, was not as motivated in the mornings and only opened his eyes when she tore the covers off of him. "You're going to pay for that Benson." he teased, stretching his arms above his head.

"Like to see you try." she muttered back, already heading out of the room.

A quick pit stop at the coffee store for a caffeine boost and they were set. And bagels for Olivia- Elliot insisted she ate something. Olivia merely rolled her eyes, wanting to drive straight to work and get stuck in.

xXx

Olivia watched Max through the mirror. Fin and Elliot were either side of her.

"Sure you can handle this?" Fin asked; she didn't even spare a glare at his doubt.

"She'll be fine." Elliot vouched.

She had her hands full of evidence bags, all of which she would use to back Swanson in to a corner. As soon as she entered the room she saw his greasy hair, sweat-dirty skin and crumpled shirt.

"Let me guess, you avoided the showers?" she asked, lowering in to her seat. "I hope you were comfortable in your cell because you're going to be seeing a lot more of one."

"Like Hell, I am," he dismissed, retortingly.

"You lied to me."

"What?"

"You lied to me." she repeated. "When we first met you said your name was Harris Maxson."

"People call me Max." he shrugged.

"That's because it _is_ your name." She slid an evidence bag in front of him. "Copy of your birth certificate. '_Max Joseph Swanson.'_"

"So?" he shrugged.

"So, that tells me you came in to my apartment having already planned this whole charade. You already knew about Lowell Harris and your scheme for revenge."

He remained silent, his eyes giving nothing away.

"Pleading the fifth?" Still he said nothing. "Ok, I'll tell you what I know. You and Lowell Harris cooked up this plan to kill me, I'm assuming he's still pissed for being busted by a woman,"

"You don't know anything." he refuted.

"Oh, I do," she stated. "I know a lot more than you think. And I probably also have a lot more friends in high places than you do." He scoffed. "My friends stayed up over night running tests for me. And can you guess what the results said?"

"_'Simon says?'_"

"They say that the latex gloves we found hidden in your apartment have DNA on them from the first victim, Martine Olivia. That's her name, by the way, in case you didn't stop to ask before you raped her." Olivia goaded.

"I didn't rape anybody." he denied, with a cocky lean of his head.

"Well the evidence says you did. You took extra effort, right? To buy gloves that were a different brand to what you're given at work, so they couldn't be traced back to you? Pretty smart." She saw the almost microscopic twitch of his lips in a hidden smirk. "Except you slipped up." she said smugly, sliding three baggies in front of him. "The gloves, the recipt from the company, and your bank records. In an attempt to hide yourself, you bought high grade forensic latex gloves. The company who produces them have their insignia stamped in to the glove at manufacturing, which means we traced it back to the producers. And what do you know? We found your card details in the list of buyers. Did you really only buy five pairs? Because usually their buyers buy in bulk of up to 20,000 pairs. Such a small order kind of stands out; bit of a bonehead idea, don't you think?"

He stayed quiet once again, but she saw the beads of sweat building on his brow.

"I don't know anything about this, Detective," he said firmly, his breathing a little hitched. "I don't even know this man, you're talking about."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I-" She slid a bag in front of him that halted his denial.

"Recognise this? You should. It's the yearbook you got at the end of high school, remember?" She flipped in a few pages, showing a picture of Swanson as a teen; leaner built, a few spots but well cared for hair, a trait that had obviously continued over the years. "_'Stay in touch, Max-buddies til the end.'_ Remember who wrote that?"

"No." he denied, his eyes flittering across the page.

She turned a few more pages, to a half-page image of Swanson and another boy, that was undeniably Harris. He was much younger, but his skin was not spotted like the other kids, his hair was not greasy or slimy, and his smile was not leering. But his eyes were unargueably evil. "That's you and Harris, with a caption 'inseparable' below it. Now tell me you don't know him!" she challenged. She saw him lick his lips nervously as she closed him in to a corner.

"You're his player, Max. He controls you like he controls the women he hurts. You are nothing to him but a puppet to do his bidding."

"That's a lie."

"Really? I'm sure he told you to find me, right? Told you to get to know me and get in my apartment? Learn the layout and snatch a key? I don't think he told you to lure me in to sex though, did he, he'd want to be himself?" she dared, hating how it sounded in her own voice.

"AND I DIDN'T EVEN GET THAT!" he burst. "You don't understand! He's had everything his whole life; the grades, the family, the girls! And you took that away from him!"

"Yeah, he gets girls; by _raping _them in a prison! It's not like they can escape him!" she yelled back.

"That's not true! You lied! He told me so himself!"

"So you saw him afterall?"

"After I saw it in the paper I went to visit him, pulled a few strings to get in off the record. He told me everything!" he sneered, trying to make her embarressed. "He told me how you wanted it, how you led him down in to the basement!"

"_I _led _him_?" she asked increduously.

"You wanted it right then and there! Til some screw comes running in and breaks it up." he said, nodding along to his false truth.

"He's manipulated you so blindly..." she muttered, shaking her head.

"You don't know shit; we're gonna get you so bad you won't know what hit you! You're going to be dead before the weekend's out!" he threatened, getting to his feet, leaning across the table. "I'm going to slit your throat so slowly you'll see yourself bleed all over the pavement!"

The door opened and Elliot stepped in. "Enough." was all he said, but Olivia could see the look in his eye; she could either walk out or he'd drag her out. She conceded and gathered the evidence bags. As she strode to the door she glanced back at Swanson, who had now dropped back down in to his chair.

"You're arraignment won't be until Monday so you'll be spending the weekend in custody."

Swanson frowned before realising he had just inadvertently confessed to the whole thing. "Motherfu-!"

Elliot closed the door. "You ok?"

"Why'd you pull me out?" she challenged.

"Because I didn't want you hearing those things. Here, get some coffee and eat something." He took the evidence bags, indicating for her to head to her desk. She watched as he disappeared around the corner; she assumed to lock all the evidence back up. She had already drank her coffee on the way in so she slyly reached over and pinched Elliot's. It was pretty strong but it would be undoubtably better than John's. She pulled open her draw and found the bagels- which she had told Elliot to toss in the trash, insistent she wasn't hungry- and felt particularly thankful. She smiled and tucked in to one, reclined in her seat. _'Got the case sorted before the weekend, I deserve a medal!' _ she kidded.

She finished up her bagel and dusted off the crumbs as she saw Huang hurrying in.

"George?" She hadn't expected to see him here.

"Olivia, I need to talk with you immediately."

"What's this about?" she asked, getting to her feet.

"Your case, quite literally _your_ case." he said in a fumble, obviously panicking over something.

"Ok."

xXx

She had led him upstairs in an attempt to get some privacy. She sat as he paced.

"Elliot sent me over the file of your suspect, Max Swanson. I decided to do a full profile and I'm a bit concerned over what I found."

"Which is?" Elliot asked, striding in behind him.

"His character is volatile, aggressive but not narcissistic like you would expect. He's calculating and manipulative, but equality as susceptible to manipulation himself. He's a dedicated follower, eager to please those who command him."

"Where's this going?" Elliot asked.

"The attacks- the first was brutal, rage driven-"

"Doctor, we know all this."

"The second attack was different!" he pressed on. "There was no outward acts of violent acts,"

"She was strangled."

"Yes, but not beaten like the first victim. Nor was she raped, not even assaulted! The MO's are completely different, the behaviour and thinking processes that would have been present for each attack are almost opposite."

"What are you trying to say?" she demanded, causing him to stop pacing and look at her.

"To have done both these crimes Max Swanson would have to have a personality disorder; be able to completely change his patterns of thought and behaviour, but his medical and psychological assessments in his jacket have routinely come back clear."

"So the shrink missed it," Elliot shrugged.

"No." Huang refuted. "This disorder would have been so noticeable that his collegues would have noticed, Olivia- you would have immediately noticed as soon as you spoke with him-"

"Ok, so he doesn't have a disorder, how about he's just plain crazy?" Olivia shrugged. "Anyone is capable of violence, even on varying levels."

"Olivia, please listen, Max Swanson did not do these things, he couldn't have." Huang argued.

"He just confessed everything, it's an open-shut case!" Olivia stated in annoyance.

"Then he must have an accomplise!" Huang yelled, out of character.

There was a moment of silence. Olivia stood up.

"I have gone through hell to get to where we are, I am not going to stand here and let you give the Defence cause for dismissal."

She marched out in frustration. Elliot stood up, but George blocked his path, by no means intimidated by Elliot's height.

"Elliot, please, listen, who ever is trying to hurt Olivia could _still _be out there. She's not safe."

"She is with me."

"Then let us hope you're with her when this person comes looking for her. Because they are _not _going to stop."

**A/N :O Did you really think I'd get Swanson and leave it at that? XD So Olivia's in denial, Elliot's just trying to protect her, and who knows who else is watching her. I love this chapter, of course Swanson knew Harris, two peas in a pod I'd say lol I'm working on the next chapter, I really want to stay on time with posting, I know I take too long to update. Anyway, what do you think? Still a few issues to address (such as the note) which will be in the next chapter. Tell me what you think xx**


	24. Chapter 24Cruel To Be Kind

From Hell To Heaven

Chapter 24- Cruel To Be Kind

**A/N Thanks to lou3174,courtneylovejason,BenslerBaby,maerae93 andSteffieDawn for reviewing, your comments make it worth posting x Also thank you to Lesya74, jehkovac and Miyu Ca for adding story alerts. And Miyu Ca, filtersaurus and BenslerBaby for adding to favourite story.**

**I meant to post this ages ago but I was crazy busy (I got an interview for my chosen university ^.^) I know not everyone like it when Elliot and Olivia fight but I find it really easy to type, but it's for a purpose I swear lol.**

Elliot stayed in the room by himself a while after Huang had departed. He sat on the aged couch with his head bowed, a disappointed sigh still on his lips. Olivia had gotten tunnel vision, just as he had expected, but it was understandable. He had seen the differences in the attacks, but had avoided them to support Olivia in her urgency to capture Swanson. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Had he led her in to a false sense of security that could penultimately lead to her getting hurt? He sighed and heaved himself up. He exited, hoping to mask his emotions.

xXx

"You ok?" he asked Liv, seeing her frustration.

"What, after Huang told me there's still a psycho after me? Oh, I'm just peachy." she retorted, rolling her eyes and went on searching files on her computer, taking occasional notes.

"Liv, come on, don't be petulant." He knew immediately he had said the wrong thing as her eyes burnt at him.

"You bastard!" She slammed down her pen. "Don't you dare treat me like a child!" she yelled, ignoring the eyes in her direction. She barged past him, heading for a cup of coffee.

Elliot followed behind her. "Liv, I'm not-"

"And don't treat me like a civilian!" she challenged. He knew she was right. "You may think I'm this- fragile, broken, weak woman, but I'm not! I don't need to be mollycoddled or babysat, ok? I don't _always_ need your help."

"Oh really?" he dared in a hushed tone. "You wouldn't have even been able to take a shower last night if it wasn't for me!"

Her whole demeanor changed. She sat down the empty mug she was holding. Her eyes turned icy and she turned her back on him.

"Liv-" he called in protest, he had really screwed up this time. "Liv, please, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that-"

"Damn right, you shouldn't," she cursed, heading for her desk.

"I know, I shouldn't have thrown that in your face, it was cruel and-" She pulled on her coat. "And where are you going?"

"The lab- see what they have on that note." she muttered, unconcerned if he heard or not.

"Well, let me get my jacket, I'll come with you."

He saw the bedgrudging nod; she didn't want him there, he knew that. She was angry with him, he knew this dispute wasn't over, she was just keeping the relationship out of the office;they were still partners no matter what he said to piss her off. Elliot caught the glare from Fin as he pulled on his coat. _'Great, now I have two Detectives baying for my blood.'_

xXx

They drove in silence. She had sped off from the curb just as he had gotten in the car; he assumed she was resisting the urge to speed off without him. She didn't look at him, didn't even glance in his direction. But if he looked at her she turned to look the opposite way out the window until he looked away again.

"Liv, please-" he began but as she looked away again he sighed. "I know I shouldn't have said it, God, I didn't even mean it! I was just angry, well not angry but-" he flustered, he was never very good at saying what he felt when it mattered most. "I didn't like how you were pushing me away. I hate to feel a distance between us and I didn't like how you were putting walls up between us. I know you're not a civilian, you're a good cop Liv. A _great_ cop actually, I know that. Liv, please just talk to me. Please?"

She stayed silent but he knew she was listening; being overly emotional was out of character for him, and he only opened up when it was absolutely necessary. Helping Olivia and keeping her safe was his priority, and if that meant having to lay everything out for her to see then so be it; it's not like she hadn't seen it all before, she knew him as well as he knew her.

She still didn't look at him, but he saw her clenching and unclenching her hand on the steering wheel, a sure sign she was thinking about something. He didn't press it; she'd say something when she was ready.

They were pulled up outside when she finally spoke, letting the engine idle.

"I'm not an idiot, Elliot."

He considered for a moment, trying to gauge what answer she was looking for. But really there was only one asnwer he could ever give to that statement. "I know you're not, Olivia." He had never seen her as any less than perfect.

"I know I'm not perfect," Ironic?

"You are to me." he interrupted, sensing it was not a welcomed one, even if it was a compliment.

"Elliot, finally getting Max was when I have finally started to feel safe since...since what Harris did." He didn't say anything, it was her turn to share. "The last thing I needed to hear was that there was a chance he could get off. Not to mention the idea that he's got backup; another raging lunatic after my head." She sighed and turned off the ignition. "Come on." she said, unbuckling her belt.

Elliot followed suit. "So, are we good now?" he asked hopefully. He saw her hesitate but otherwise ignore him and get out of the car.

_'I'll take that as a no,'_ he thought, opening his door and wondering just how much damage he had done in that one off-hand comment.

xXx

They were silent in the elevator up to the floor of the lab. They were silent as they walked the corridor and silent as they knocked on the door. So, despite it not being directed at him, Elliot was glad to hear her voice when she finally spoke.

"Got anything useful?" she teased at their resident science guy.

"Well that is my job." he joked back. Elliot hated how she smiled sweetly for that guy and yet was shooting daggers in his direction. "I ran a full diagnostic on that note you gave me."

"And?"

"And it gave me a headache." he smiled.

"I'll loan you an aspirin." she chuckled.

"You actually got anything, or are you wasting our time?" Elliot retorted, annoyed that this 20-something science geek was getting more interaction with Liv than he was. He understood why she was annoyed, but that didn't mean this guy was allowed to shamelessly flirt with his Liv.

His face fell as he looked up at Elliot. "Yes, sir, er-" he spun on his chair to click open files on his computer. "I ran for fingerprints, two sets-"

"Run them through the computer?" Elliot quickly interrupted.

"Of course, came up as a Max Swanson and Lowell Harris, like you expected." He looked up apologetically at Olivia.

"Ok," she sighed. "What else?"

"I ran the text through a linguistic analyser-"

Elliot rolled his eyes. _'Why can they never just say what they mean?'_ "Any chance of losing the science babble?"

"Basically, it looks at the letters, sequences of those letters and language used, how it's written, with pen or typed, how that person writes."

Elliot was still none the wiser.

"It's an anagram." the young man informed.

"An anagram?" _'Hope it makes more sense than it does at the minute.'_ Olivia thought.

"So the computer rearranged the letters?" Elliot assumed.

"Yes. The system picked out grammatical errors, such as capitals mid sentence, and misplaced punctuation."

"Ok, ok, skip to the answers." Elliot cut short.

He spun in his chair again, sending something to the printer and then standing up. He flipped through a box of evidence bags and pulled out the relevant one; the note.

"This was the original note," he handed them the baggie, pointless as they had seen it before. "And this," he plucked the piece of paper from the printer and handed it them. "-Is what the computer got when the letters were unscrambled."

Olivia heard Elliot curse under his breath as he read the name of the addressee on the envelope.

_'TO dead detective Benson'_

"You've gotta be kidding me." Elliot sighed. Olivia turned over the plastic bag in her hands to see the letter open on the other side.

_'Well done, Olivia, if you're reading this then you have found your perp. But our game is not over. There are more pieces to this puzzle than you thought. Show me how clever you are and see how far the rabbit hole goes. CO-'_

"Great." she mumbled under her breath.

"That's not the least of it," the lab tech interrupted. "I ran a diagnostic on the handwriting. I pulled the old records of Swanson and Harris; health insurance, employment contracts, dental plans, that sort of thing-"

"What for?" Elliot interrupted.

"I was getting to that." He noticed Elliot's tightened eyes and shifted a little. "I er-" he cleared his throat. "I wanted to compare the handwriting from the note. The computer picked up 27 significant features."

"What does that mean?" Olivia asked.

"When you're writing, it comes fluidly, you don't even think about how you're moving the pen. The computer looks for the repetitive movements we subconsiously make; how you cross your T, or swirl your S, even how you draw your punctuation."

"Ok, so it matched Harris', right? That's what 'CO-' means." Olivia said instinctively.

"Yes, it did. How he wrote 'CO-' was a direct match to how he wrote it on his job application when applying to sealview."

"Lucky me." she mumbled.

"Sorry, Liv. I doubt it's what you wanted to hear." said the 'science geek', as Elliot thought of him.

"_Detective Benson_ and I," Elliot emphasised. "-Have everything we need for now. Get back to us if there's anything new."

xXx

They descended the steps outside the lab building.

"Can you believe this?" Elliot muttered at Olivia, who didn't respond. Elliot unlocked the car but Olivia hesitated.

"You know what, I'm going to go for coffee." she said, turning on her heel.

He frowned. "Liv, come on, if you don't wanna talk to me-fine, I get it, but don't got wandering off by yourself."

"I'm not wandering, I'm going to the coffee shop around the corner." she retorted, turning her back to him.

"Then get in, and I'll drive you there." he offered.

"I need the fresh air." He stepped up and grabbed her wrist as she tried to head off again. She yanked her arm away in reflex. "Don't touch me!" Her eyes were fiery, but apologetic. "I-"

"It's ok." he interrupted. He was used to her reflexes; just when he thought she was starting to move past it, there would be flashes of panic that she couldn't control. There was an awkward silence between them for a moment. "Liv, it's ok."

"Elliot, please, I just need some time alone."

"Liv, you can't go off by yourself with this whackjob on the loose."

"Why? Because I can't protect myself?" she demanded angrily. "Because I'm a woman or because I'm weak?" she frustration bubbled.

"You're not weak and you're a damn good cop, you know that, and you know I know that." he reasoned, for once, forbidding his angry to stay hidden; the last thing he needed was to get annoyed and say the wrong thing again.

"Or is it because I was sexually assaulted and I can't control my emotions about it?" Several people looked in their direction at her furious outburst. "Maybe I'll flashback in the coffee shop and need you to hold my hand? Or panic when I see someone with a flashlight because that's what Harris had?"

Olivia waited for him to respond. He merely stepped up to her, inches between them. "Olivia Benson, I don't think of you as weak. I never have. The fact that you're a woman doesn't mean you're any less of a Detective. I didn't mean what I said. So you had flashbacks. So you had panic attacks. That doesn't, and never will, make you less beautiful to me. Now you can stand here and scream at me, shout at me, maybe even hit me, I don't care. Yes I had to help you last night," he saw her frustration in her eyes. "But that doesn't mean anything. Think of all those times when you helped me, all the times I've needed you and you were there. There's nothing wrong with needing help, Olivia." He saw her chest fall drastically as she silently sighed. "Now, come on, get in the car."

He opened his door. "No." she heard her say. "I'm going it alone Elliot."

He spun to look at her retreating back. _'Going it alone...that doesn't sound good...did she just break up with me?'_ he panicked. _'God no...'_

"Olivia..." he called as his heart held tight like a vice. _'Don't say it, don't say I've lost what I love most...please...'_ he begged.

She hesitated looking over her shoulder. She passed him a weak smile. "I'll see you at home, El." And with that she turned the corner.

_'Home? She's coming home...'_ His heart finally released in an almsot painful _thump!_ as he slid in to the car and slammed the door. She may be angry, she may be upset...but at least she was still his. _'My Liv,'_

**A/N . So Harris has been up to his old tricks; I think Harris would be smart enough to plan all this, despite being caught he was smart enough to go the hospital and steal the rape kit, and run a drug smuggling ring in and out of Sealview. And did you really think I'd have them split up? Of course not! ^.^ My thinking behind this argument is that Liv is feeling inferior, as though she's less of a person because of what she's been through (rubbish of course), and Elliot still sees her as the incredible woman she's always been. Plus, he's being protective while she knows she can care for herself. Like it or not? Reviews would make me smile xx (Sorry if there are any errors, I had to quickly spellcheck at the last second.)**


	25. Chapter 25 Recover What Is Precious

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N I know, I've actually updated on time for once lol**

**Gold stars for my fantastic reviewers; iRang, courtneylovejason, 70s80sfanficlover, Miyu Ca, Lesya74, maerae93, DeLene, SteffieDawn, Amber77 & spacekitten2700. Another big thank you to those who also added story alerts- iRang, 70s80sfanficlover, liviabenson17 & gabbie; and thanks to those of you who already have x MAJOR thank you to Jennifer Catlin DiNozzo (love the name lol) for adding to favourite story, favourite author, author alert, story alert AND a review! ^.^ Have a kiss from Tony as a reward *God he's so cute :P***

**Spacekitten2700 mentioned it was time for the baddies to go and for Liv to heal...as much as I love Olivia, I'm afraid there's a bit more heartache to come before she possibly gets her happy ending. This chapter is more domestic based- Elliot and Olivia have always worked well together, they're the perfect partnership. But even soulmates have arguements sometimes, this chapter reminds them how great they are together and puts E back with O.**

Chapter 25- Recover What Is Precious

Elliot sat in the car for a second, debating if he should drive past the coffee shop, just for a second, just to see if she was ok.

_'If you don't trust your partner, Elliot, it's time to get a new one.'_ her voice sounded in his memory.

He turned the ignition. He sped off around the corner. _'She's capable of taking care of herself.'_ he reminded himself.

xXx

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Elliot turned to see Cragen frowning and striding across the squadroom to him.

"I'm pretty sure I work here." Elliot chuckled. "Or did I get fired while I was out?" he joked.

"Why aren't you with Olivia?" Cragen asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"We were just at the lab-"

"Liv filled me in on everything." Cragen interrupted.

"And then she went for coffee." Elliot shrugged.

There was an awkward pause.

"What? What is it?" Elliot demanded. _'Let me guess, you're pissed at me too for upsetting her?'_

"Elliot, Olivia's taking the rest of the day off." Cragen said.

"What?"

"She told me what you found on the note, I figured she needed a break. I assumed you'd be with her." Cragen shrugged.

"Well, she's got her gun, she can protect herself." Elliot said awkwardly; Olivia was his partner and he didn't even know where she was, it was just embarrassing.

"Even Wonderwoman needs time off now and then." Cragen joked, heading for his office.

Elliot grabbed his phone and automatically dialled the number. It rang once and then went to voicemail.

"Hey Liv, er- I spoke to Cragen." he paused. He had no idea what to say; if she was still angry anything he said would simply annoy her more. "Just...give me a call when you get this...I love you." He hung up, knowing she had probably ignored the call.

xXx

Olivia sat in the coffee shop, furthest from the window, but facing it. 'See them before they see you,' as Munch would say. She had a cup of coffee in her hands. It had been nearly 45 minutes since she had left Elliot at the car. She knew she had scared him, but that note had scared her. Every hurdle she had faced, she had defeated. Only for another one to appear. She felt helpless. She felt isolated. She felt shameful, especially now she had told Elliot every disgusting detail of what Harris did, and how her mind was torturing her with nightmares and panic attacks. _'God, he must think I'm such a wreck.'_ but the little voice in her head spoke for her. _'No, he loves you.'_

She smiled a little. but she rolled her eyes as she saw Fin approaching.

"Back of the shop, you turnin' in to Munch?"

"Fin, what're you doing here?" she challenged.

He dropped in to the seat opposite her. "Ain't it obvious? What the hell'd Stabler do now?"

"Nothing. He didn't do anything." she defended.

"Huh." Fin merely grunted, doubtfully.

They sat quietly for a moment. "He put his foot in it." she blurted.

"Don't he always?" Fin muttered.

"He's trying to make it better, he really is; he's giving it his all..." she trailed off.

"But he just doesn't understand?" Fin finished.

Olivia ran her hand through her hair and finally looked at him. After a moment she nodded defeatedly.

"He knows what happened. I told him."

Fin nodded knowingly.

"He understands in the way you understand when a victim reports something; he knows the facts and details...but he didn't see the basement. He didn't see me being thrown around and beaten. And he didn't see me cuffed to those bars with Harris standing over." she shivered. "But you did." she added hesitantly.

"Don't remind me." he muttered, hating the image in his head just as much as he had that day. "Liv, you can work through this, Elliot's just tryin' to help. And, don't tell him I said this...but he's good for you. No matter what he accidentally says when he's angry." he said, giving her a knowing look.

_'So he heard what Elliot said? Oh God!' _she panicked. But as she looked at him, she knew he wasn't looking at her differently.

"Thanks Fin." she said appreciatively.

Fin checked his watch. "It's getting late-"

"It's only 4." she laughed.

"Exactly; dinner time." he uncharacteristically smirked.

She smirked back. _'Men and their food.'_

"Come on, you can come back to my place and get some food in your stomach." he said, standing up.

"You can cook?" she asked in surprise.

"No, but I can order."

She chuckled; they had the same cooking ability.

xXx

7.25PM "Hey Liv, I just got home, just checking you're ok. Love you." _~beep!~_

8.34PM "Liv, it's El again. It's getting late; just need to know you're safe." _~beep!~_

9.13PM "Liv, it's El, _please_ call me back. Love ya." _~beep!~_

10.02PM "Liv, where are you? You're starting to worry me. Just call me. _Please._ Or text me, anything, please?" _~beep!~_

10.52PM _"The number you are trying to reach is unavailable. Please hang up and try again later." ~beep!~_

Elliot hung up in defeat. If she had turned her phone off, she was still ignoring him; she was still safe. He dropped his cell phone on to the bedside table and dropped back on the pillow.

xXx

Olivia edged along the corridor toward's the apartment. It was 11.58; she had stayed at Fin's longer than expected. She was surprised how watching TV with a friend could be such a relief, but Fin's view on the guests on Jerry Springer were hilarious. Fin had offered her his bed for the night (while he slept on the couch of course). She had seriously considered it, not because she didn't want to go home to Elliot, but because it was late, cold out and she honestly felt too tired to move. At least that was until she rummaged for her cell phone to call Elliot and she knocked her wallet out. It was until she picked it up that she saw the key tucked inside. She knew instinctively that it was to his- now 'their'- apartment. Fin had drove her home, politely not asking why they were at Elliot's.

She turned the key in the door but it wouldn't budge. She frowned and wiggled it in the lock. Nothing. She took it back out and hesitated. She turned the handle and the door opened smoothly. He had left the door open for her. She closed it and locked it behind her. She headed straight to the window. Fin's car was still idling on the curb. She waved down, he flashed his headlights and then drove off.

She headed towards the kitchen for a glass of orange juice. She opened the refridgerator to find a yellow post-it stuck to the jug. Scribbled in Elliot's handwriting was: _**"Chow mein in the oven. Went to bed, love you"**_

She couldn't help but smile and look longingly at the bedroom door.

_'He's probably been out of his mind; never pegged him for a hopeless romantic.'_

What he said was out of line, but Fin was right; he's just trying to help. She had yelled at him, cursed at him and ignored him nearly all day. But he was still here. Still waiting for her to come home. She flicked off the light and headed for the bedroom.

She opened the door as quietly as she could and closed it equally as quietly. From the dim light pouring through the window she could see he had picked up their dirty clothes from the previous nights together. She quickly stripped down to her underwear. She grabbed one of his white undershirts from the pile of laundrey and slipped in on. she peeled back the covers and carefully edged herself in. Elliot was lying on the far edge of the bed and the distance between them seemed huge; she hated it. She leaned across and ran the tip of her finger down his back, following the natural curve. His skin was hot to the touch. She smiled and moved closer, longing for his strong arms around her.

"Elliot," she called quietly. From his deep, even breathing she could tell he was still asleep. As she reached out to touch his arm, he tossed in his sleep, shifted roughly on to his back beside her. She smirked.

She lowered herself down and kissed his chest. She glanced up to see it had had no effect. She kissed a little further down, the base of his ribs. He shifted a little. She pressed her lips delicately just above the waistline of his shorts, flicking her tongue out across his hot skin. She ran her hands up his strong thighs, caressing the firm muscles that wrapped around them. He twitched a little, her saw his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed. She smirked and continued her hands up his thighs until her fingertips grazed the muscles that join his leg to his hip. he jumped awake in an instance, bolting upright. She instinctively wrapped her arms around him as he did the same, blinking in confusion at finding Olivia kneeling between his legs in the middle of the night.

"Liv?" he frowned, she felt his warm breath on her skin as his chin rested on her shoulder.

"I came home." was all she said.

His hands were under in his own shirt in seconds, his fingertips following the path of her spine. "Liv, I'm so sorry-"

"You don't need to apologise." she cut off, her eyes wandering appreciatively across his face, one side glowing from the streetlights.

"No, I do. What I say...it was stupid, I didn't mean it. You were pushing me away and my instinct was to lash out."

"I know." she smiled.

"You know?"

"Elliot, I've been your partner for years; do you really think I wouldn't know that about you?"

"I didn't mean to hurt you." His hands trailed up her ribcage.

"You didn't." she said, her tone faint as she murmured appreciate of his actions. "Is it my turn to apologise?" she asked as he helped her remove his shirt.

"No," he murmured, nuzzling at the crook of her neck. "You don't have anything to apologise for." He nipped at her skin, smiling when she jumped a little.

"I do," she insisted.

"Oh yeah?" He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up, she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, she could feel him pressing against her thin panties. "What would that be?"

"1) I didn't consider your feelings."

_'My feelings? Is she serious? After everything she's been through- still going through- she's worried how _I'm_ feeling?' _he thought. How could a person be so selfless?

"I forgot that you're in this with me-"

"'Til the end." he added, kissing down her chest. She thrusted against him with every delicate kiss that fluttered against her skin.

"2) I-er..."

"Losing your train of thought?" he chuckled, having just unclipped her bra. He guided it down her arms, before tossing it to the floor.

She leaned in for a kiss but he turned his head. "You're still apologising." he teased, dying to capture her lips against his own. She heard her moan of pleasure and frustration. "2)?" he urged.

"2) I'm sorry for scaring you; I should have called." He noted how she met his eyes in sincerity, irrelevant of how much they were trying to roll back in pleasure. His thumbs were skipping across her breasts, deliberately avoiding the spot she wanted him to touch most.

"And 3)-" she faltered as his tongue flicked across the raised bud of her nipple. "And 3)" she pressed on, her nails clawing at his bare back. "To think I spend the last two hours watching Jerry Springer when I could have been here with you in _our_ apartment."

He had no clue what she meant about Springer but chuckled anyway; seeing her smile was like sunshine. In one swift moment he had her on her back, her legs high on his waist and their cores brushing against each other.

"I take it you found my gift." he said in a husky bedroom-voice tone. She merely nodded with a wider smile and tugged at his shorts. He smirked.

"I don't know about you, _Detective Stabler_, but I'm feeling awfully warm with all these clothes on." she said ironically, seeing as she was only in her panties and Elliot was barely wearing shorts; as she continued easing them down. They both smiled endeeringly. It took precisely 3 seconds for both of them to get completely naked. But 3 seconds were only a little sacrifice of time to waste when they had the whole night ahead of them.

**A/N I had to have Olivia reacting to the note in someway but I didn't want tears; God knows she's had enough of those. I really wanted to address that although Elliot is so understanding, he'll never fully understand what it was like for her, only Fin knows what it was like down there. And yet Elliot tries his best (he's so amazing), and of course I had to bring them back together.**


	26. Chapter 26 Moving Day

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N Thank you to DeLene, spacekitten2700, SteffieDawn, courtneylovejason, maerae93 and Jennifer Catlin DiNozzo for your reviews, you always make me smile :) Thanks to jmarrero16 for adding a story alert, and to Totally awesome & justliziam for adding to favourite story.**

**This chapter is a bit shorter than usual, I intended to post it ages ago but I've been rushed off my feet. It's a bit more domesticated, I wanted to get EO sorted before the next chapter, you'll see why.**

Chapter 26-Moving Day

Olivia snuggled in bed. She yawned and slowly sat up when she felt the mattress move. She saw Elliot pulling on clothes.

"Wake up sleepy head." he smiled.

"What time is it?" she mumbled in her drowsyness.

"Just after 9."

"On a sunday?" He nodded in response. "Elliot, what is wrong with you? You woke me before 12 on a Sunday?" she asked incredulously, before dropping back on to the pillow and snuggling in. "We didn't even get to sleep 'til 4."

"Which explains my good mood, don't you think?" he passed her a wolfish grin as he laced his shoes. "Ok, you sleep, I'll go get us breakfast." He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and left.

He returned back nearly an hour later in time to see her coming from the bathroom, her hair was wet and slightly curled; she'd taken a shower.

"You ok?" he warily asked, setting down what he was holding.

She looked a little wide eyes, but otherwise ok. "Yeah." she said, still a little shook up.

He kissed her head. "Proud of you." he mumbled, handing her a cup of coffee and a wink.

She took a backwards glance at the bathroom door and smiled to herself.

xXx

After breakfast, and Olivia got dressed and did her hair (Elliot rolled his eyes), they were soon deciding what to do with their day off. After bickering that the library was boring and watching football was a waste of time, they settled for a walk and see where they went from there. So pretty soon they were strolling towards the park in a comfortable silence, until Elliot spoke at last. He held her hand as he halted them.

"Hey Liv, I was thinking, I know you don't want to rush this relationship thing and I know accepting the key was a big sep for you-"

"Spit it out, El." she smiled.

"I think we should move your stuff in to my apartment. _Our_ apartment."

Her joking dmile faultered. "You mean from my old apartment?"

He knew she was stalling; she didn't want to go back there. "Yeah. It seems pointless to be paying rent on it if you're not living there; I mean you're practically living with me anyway."

She started to dawdle away, he followed after her. seeing her consider it.

"You're right; it's a waste of money and my tenancy agreements up by the end of the month anyway."

"So, we're doing this? You're actually moving in with me?" he asked, taking her hand again.

"Wasn't last night enough of a 'yes'?" she teased.

xXx

They were stood outside her door. She was just taking a few breaths to steady herself.

"Olivia!" A small, old lady with frizzy blonde hair was rushing towards her and Elliot.

"Mrs Harper," Olivia smiled.

The woman finally reached her with a wheeze. "You're alive! We heard such terrible things." she muttered, nodding at the cut police tape lying at the foot of Olivia's door.

"Oh." Olivia said. It was all she could say. _'Great, people think I'm dead.' _"I'm quite all right, Genie, just a break in."

"You should move somewhere safe, you never know, they might come-"

"She is moving actually." Elliot cut in.

"Oh, I'm sorry, this is Elliot, my partner." she said instinctively. "El, this is Genie Harper, my neighbour."

"Genie?" Elliot asked, briefly shaking her hand.

"Short for Eugenie." Olivia muttered.

"Unless you want a wish," Genie winked at him.

Olivia stifled a laugh as Elliot smirked uncomfortably. "Well, it was nice to meet you, Genie. I'll wait inside." Elliot added mutteringly to Olivia.

He turned the keys Olivia had left in the door. Genie fluttered her lashes before he disappeared inside.

"Partner, eh?" she immediately asked; Olivia was used to Genie's love of gossip. "Unusual for collegues to move in together."

Olivia resisted rolling her eyes. "Yeah, er- we've been dating, plus we've been best friends for years now."

"I thought I recognised the name." Genie smiled; once Olivia had mentioned Elliot a while ago, Genie took it upon herself to keep up to date with the news.

"Yeah." Olivia mentally kicked herself.

"So a break in? We had cops crawling the place asking questions, but we didn't see you so we just assumed the worst." Genie looked concerned. "Everything's all right isn't it? You're ok?"

"Er- yeah, I am."

Genie stepped closer. "Does he treat you good? Because you can tell me if he doesn't." She leaned in suspiciously.

"He treats me good, he really does. He's been helping me a lot recently."

"I bet he has." Genie muttered with a smirk, causing Olivia to blush. "Well, I suppose it's better for you to move somewhere you're safe and happy." Genie placed an aged hand on Olivia's face. "You look happy."

Olivia smiled back at her neighbour, before the little old woman hobbled away.

xXx

She stepped inside her old apartment to see Elliot stood looking out the window. He looked up as she closed the door.

"I found these boxes in your closet." She looked down at them leaning against her sofa.

"Yeah, er- refuse bags-" She headed over and pulled some out of the cupboard under the sink.

"You ok with this?"

"Of course I am," she smiled.

First they boxed up the few books, DVDs and magazine she had on her shelf. They took down her photos, packed up her TV (that she rarely used), and took down her curtains (well Elliot did, he was taller than her). When the living room was done, they moved to the kitchen; boxed up her plates, cups and cutlery. There wasn't a lot, her cupboards were mostly bare. She emptied the refridgerator; cartons of juice, a bit of fruit, but the rest was trashed.

She knew he was avoiding moving to the bathroom or bedroom; she was too, but now they were nearly done she knew she would have to. She was heading down the darkened corridor to the bathroom with a box in her hands. Her bedroom door seemed so threatening, _'It's just a door, it's just a room.'_ she reminded herself. She turned the bathroom door handle and jumped as the lights flicked on. Elliot was suddenly beside her, his hand still on the switch.

"Would help if the lights were on." he smiled, but his eyes was watchful.

They boxed up her shampoo, conditioner, razors, face towels, bath towel, bath robe, toothpaste and toothbrush (she'd been using a crappy manual one she had grabbed at the store, and it was next to useless).

Her heart pounded as she bravely pushed open the bedroom door. It seemed so different; that night had been terrifying, invasive and threatening, but now- all she saw now was a trashed bedroom, not the person potentially hiding it in.

She rescued the photos she treasured from the smashed frames, put the drawers back in her chester drawers and cleaned away the broken glass. Her bed frame was gone, no doubt to evidence for the words scrawled on the panels. She stood up all her upturned furniture while Elliot cleared up the scattered feathers. It took them nearly an hour and a half to dismantle her destroyed blinds, fold up the slashed curtains, pick up the smashed lamp and bag up the open pillows. Her previously scattered clothes were in a messy pile, expect what ahd been taken for evidence. One the room it self was straightened, and surprisingly bare, she headed in to her closet. Her whole underwear draw went in the trash; she was making do with washing the few sets she did have, which she prefered to wearing something _he_ had potentially touched. They bagged up her clothes in the refuse bags as well as her large range of shoes and handbags. She found herself welling up when she came across the large shoe box hidden on the top shelf. She lifted it down; her mother's possessions she had kept, letters, postcards and photos from when she was younger. At least this had escaped Max's anger. Elliot didn't ask and simply went on bagging up.

When they were finally done she realised how bare her 'home' was. They had loaded the 4 refuse bags, 3 boxes and small TV in to Elliot's car.

"If you wanted to keep your furniture, I'm sure we could arrange for a storage lock up or, maybe try to fit some of the smaller thigns in to my-"

"No." she cut him off. "I don't want any of it." All the furniture in her apartment had been bought for when she needed it; practical, cheap items. She grabbed her suitcase they had found in her closet, packed with a rug, a throw blanket, her favourite cushion form the couch and two stuffed bears; one from Elliot, and a smaller one from Fin from ages ago.

With one final glance, they stepped out and she closed the door on the past the apartment represented.

**A/N I wanted Olivia to have a new resolve to move past what Max did, even if she's working through what Harris did. So EO is looking set for a happy ending, but bad guys always have a talent for interrupting that. lol See you next chapter, which I'm trying to post a lot sooner than I am at the minute. x**


	27. Chapter 27Taken

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N Short chapter for you, hope you like it. I'm trying to write as quick as I can but school work is piling up lol**

**Thanks to all my loyal readers and reviewers, I'd give personal shoutouts but I'm having trouble accessing them. So if you reviewed, big thank you to you. (I'll have it fixed before next update so I can mention you individually) X**

**This chapter definitely loses the domesticity, and getting in to the final leg of the story. I know you've all had an idea about who the bad guy could be, I'm hopinh it's going to be a surprise for you all, I've taken a bit of creative license with it x**

Chapter 27- Taken

It took two trips between them to get her things in to their aparatment. Thankfully, Elliot didn't own much clothing, a few suits and shirts for work, casual clothes, jogging sweats and the occasional fancy shirt for occasions. And his shoes consisted of 3 pairs; smart, casual and boots, all of which could fit on half a rail on one side of the closet. Olivia, on the other hand, had a lot more; skirts, shirts, pants, dresses, suits, dress shirts, blouses, jackets, shawls...it seemed endless, or so Elliot thought. When it was finally all hung up and stored away, she couldn't help but smile. His heavy work boots were side by side with her high heels, his shirts hung by her blouses, and- her favourite- his lockbox (gun concealed within) sat protectively beside her treasure box of photographs and memories. When she finally closed the closet door he swept her up in his arms. She uncharacteristically giggled. His arms wrapped snugly around her waist. She had never has this before; the blissful happiness with a man, a confortable present, and a positive future. And with Elliot, of all people. _'As if I even considered all those other guys when Elliot was right there in front of me all along.'_

"You know what? We're going the movies afterall."

"Oh really?" she challenged playfully. "Do I get a choice?"

"Seeing as you turned by 'bachelor pad' in to a girly home, no." he chuckled, planting her lightly back on her feet, arms still around her waist.

"Girly, huh? Not too late to change your mind." she smiled.

"Never." he said, his eyes seeming to cloud with something...Lust? Admiration? Love. "I can put up with a few stuffed bears and flowery blankets if it means I get you."

She smiled up for a minute, seeing every handsome feature she had admired from a distance. But as he leaned in for a kiss, she resisted her natural urge to want him, and instead playfully slipped from his arms and headed for the door.

"Don't want to be late to the movies."she said coyly, ducking out of the room, but not before she saw his eyes trail appreciatetively over her body.

xXx

Half an hour later they were sitting in a darkened screen, idly watching over the extensively long trailers of upcoming films. Liv was rolling her eyes; she hated trailers, they were designed to lure you in and get you to see another movie, only to find out after you've paid that you've already seen all the good parts in the trailer itself. She was idly chewing gummie bears, which she had unashamedly chosen at the consession stand. Her cell phone buzzed loudly in her pocket, echoing shrilly throughout the screen. Several people looked in her direction with disapproving scowls.

"It's Fin, I better take this." she muttered back with a frown.

"Work?"

"I'm not sure." Why would Fin call her on a Sunday? People were still turning in their seats and shushing them: Elliot glared back. "I'll take this outside." She made to get up.

"Hey, hey," he chided, gently pulling her back close. "Don't go running off, you still owe me that kiss." She heard his bedroom voice, and was thankful the loud trailers covered it. She conceded to a quick, yet passionate, burning kiss.

"Don't worry, I'll be right back." she started to get up, putting the phone to her ear.

"Better be, I don't wanna be stuck here by myself." she heard him call after her.

She stepped in to the corridor, the heavy doors cutting off most of the sound from the screen but the screaming teenagers were overwehelming. She covered her one ear but all she could heard was teens and crackling phonelines.

"Fin? Hello?" She gave a sigh at the silly screaming girls and headed towards the doors. The pounding rain and horn blaring cars were less than helpful. She groaned at her increasing bad luck and slipped in to the alleyway beside the cinema, quieter as the cut off from the main road.

"Fin, can you hear me?" All she was getting was static. "Fin, I can't-" The line went dead. She quickly redialled, eager to get back inside, the sky was dark and pouring rain, it was almost freezing and she was getting soaked.

The line picked up, clear as day. "Tutuola."

"Fin,"

"Liv, what's up?" he asked, obviously concerned by her call on a Sunday, clearly personal reasons rather than work related.

"You tell me; I got your call but I was only getting static, I figured it must have been important so I-"

"Liv, hold up," fin interrupted. "I didn't call you."

She felt her blood run cold, and not from the cold air pinching at her.

"No, that's not possible, I-" she was suddenly shoved roughly in to the wall. her phone slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor as she cried out.

"Liv!" Fin yelled down the receiver, unheard by anyone as the cell lay abandoned on the dirtty alley floor.

Liv spun after colliding painfully with the brick wallm her hand automatically grabbing her small handgun (Elliot had insisted). The figure, all in black, face concealed, sent their fist pummelling in to Olivia's stomach, knocking the air out of her lungs. Olivia gasped for air while trying to aim her gun, only for it to be forcefully knocked out as the attacker swung a plank of wood smashing in to Liv's hand. There was a heavy clatter as the piece fell from her grip. The last thing Olivia saw before being swallowed by darkness was the quickly advancing plank of wood, aimed directly at her head.

xXx

Elliot shifted in his seat, a bad feeling erupting in his gut. Something felt uneasy. Olivia had already been gone over 5 minutes. His unease took over and he jumped up, ignoring complaints as he shuffled along the row of seats. He headed out and towards the consession stand. He quickly looked around. No Liv.

"Hey," Elliot rounded on the spotty cashier behind the coungter. "The woman, I came in with, see where she went?"

"Yes, Sir, she stepped outside." He pointed towards the main entrance. "Looked like she was taking a call."

Elliot almost burst out of the door on to the downpouring pavement. Liv was nowhere to be seen. He panicked; she wouldn't have left without telling him first. He fumbled in his pocket to grab his phone and hurriedly switched it on. He was instantly bombarded with beeps alerting him to 9 missed calls. He went to see who the calls were from but his phone buzzed again as a call came through. Fin. He answered in a hurry to say 'what the hell?' in confusion and panic. But before he could, he heard Fin say 3 words that he never wanted to hear, that made his mouth run dry, his lungs feel incapable of expanding and his heart stop dead in his chest.

"They got Liv."

**A/N Review if you can, I'd love to know what you think X**


	28. Chapter 28 Trapped

From Hell to Heaven

**A/N Big thank you to my reviewers, my regulars and newcomers, you're all greatly appreciated. Mapleshade-Liv-firestar,lollipop781,courtneylovejason,spacekitten2700,DeLene, Amber77, SteffieDawn (Don't worry, I haven't forgot, I owe you an incredible amount of reviews but I promise I WILL do them for you x),EOforevertogether,Jennifer Catlin DiNozzo and ToriRenee161, you guys are amazing.**

**Thanks to Mapleshade-Liv-firestar for adding to favourite story, story alert, favourite author and author alert. Gold star for you lol x**

Chapter 28- Trapped

Elliot's world seemed to come crashing down around him. _'They got her. They got my Liv!'_ His heart raced ahead, leaving his mind painfully behind, struggling to connect with his body.

"Elliot? You there? Elliot!" He could hear Fin calling down in ear, his phone still in his hand, frozen. "Stabler!"

Elliot jumped, still in a panic. "Er- yeah, I'm here, I, er, I-"

"Get your butt to the precinct, we're going to figure this out." The line went dead. He could tell from Fin's tone that he was trying to be comforting and instructive, but there was no time for that. They had his Olivia, and he was going to get her back.

He practically threw himself in front of a cab. Thankfully it skidded to a halt inches from his legs; he dove inside and they sped off; though still not as fast as Elliot liked.

xXx

Olivia's head ached. She was conscious before she opened her eyes; she held them closed, listening to her surroundings, trying to gauge her situation. Silence, except for a dripping pipe somewhere in the distance. She peeked to see it was almost pitch black. She glanced down and began struggling; she was strapped in a chair, duct tap securing her arms, chest and legs. Including a single strip of tape across her mouth. _'oh, how original,'_ she thought to herself, trying to make light of the seriously dangerous situation she was caught in. Within seconds she realised her was trapped; the tape was simply too tight to budge; and the more she fidgeted, the more the tape distorted pinchingly and cut against her skin. She gave up, resorting to a sitrep. _'Ok, tied to a chair, no gun, no cell phone, banging headache, being held by God knows how many dirtbags sent on revenge for my head...could it get any worse...' _ she thought, rolling her eyes; why was it always her getting in to these situations? Her head was thumping, whether from dehydration, headache or from being hit with a chuck of wood she didn't know, but either way it felt bad. She could feel the warm sticky sensation where blood had dried on the side of her head.

Her chest ached painfully; the dirtbag had slammed her forcefully against the stone wall in the alleyway; her breasts felt bruised and it hurt to take a deep breath, as though her interal muscles were also bruised. Her knuckles on her left hand were badly scuffed, the skin torn and scratched up, where the beam of wood had struck. Her whole hand seemed to beat in time with her pulse, and when she tried to move her fingers, a searing pain shot down her arm and culminated in the targeted knuckles. She gasped out a cry against the tape on her mouth, her brow puckering up in shock, her moans coming out muffled. She resigned to move it as little as possible, knowing it could be broken or dislocated, she'd spare herself _that_ pain at least. Her ribs were screaming inside her body with every slight move she made; she remembered the feeling of the attacker's fist sinking in to her stomach and dropped her head in defeat.

_'Ok, tied to a chair, no gun, no cell phone, banging headache, being held by God knows how many dirtbags sent on revenge for my head...possible concussion, bruised chest, pain breathing, a uselessly painful hand and possibly a broken rib or two...now I know it can't get any worse.'_ But she still had one hope: Elliot, he would notice she was missing and wouldn't give up; he would fight every day until he died to protect her and get her back. Though, as she heard a door in the distance opened, she hoped he got to her sooner rather than later.

xXx

Elliot flew in to the squadroom. "What we got?" he demanded, trying to pull himself together.

Fin, Cragen & Munch were already crowded around his desk, a seemingly invisible bubble around Olivia's work space. "Liv said I called her-"

"That's why she stepped outside." Elliot said. _'I should have gone with her, if I'd just insisted on following her-'_ he silently added, torturing himself.

"But I didn't call." Fin refused. Fin turned and grabbed something from his desk; a laptop. He clicked open a link. "I've been recording all my phonecalls for years now, an old habit from when I was in Narcotics. I used to get threats, my bosses made me add a recorder in case-"

"Get to the point, Fin!" Elliot frowned.

Fin let it slide, considering the situation; not even John wasted time mentioning governmental conspiracies or spying on people's private conversations. "I got Liv's phonecall." He pressed the _play_ button and Liv's voice filled the room.

_"You tell me; I got your call but I was only getting static, I figured it must have been important so I-"_

_"Liv, hold up," Fin's voice said on the tape. "I didn't call you."_

_"No, that's not possible, I-"_ She suddenly cut off mid-sentence, and they heard a scuffle as the phone was dropped. They all, including Fin, visibly shifted uncomfortably when they heard Olivia cry out.

_"Liv!"_ They heard Fin call out, but to no answer. All they could heard now was muffled scuffling noises as Olivia fought against her attacker. They heard gasps, moans of pain and one final cry out before it fell silent. Fin clicked off the audio as they just looked at each other.

"You stood listening while Olivia was being taken?" Elliot challenged Fin.

Fin had expected Elliot to act this way, he was hurting for Olivia, he was scared and angry; a mix that never worked well for Stabler. "Hell, no. I was already grabbing my car keys, but I stayed on the line so my cell could record it."

Elliot merely nodded. "So now what?" he asked. Usually, when it was another victim, he had a full plan of action, so sure of what he should and shouldn't do. But this was Olivia, it was different, and he was still feeling disconnected; everything felt slightly surreal.

"We track the call, find out who lured her outside." John shrugged, as though it were an offhand comment.

"I took the liberty." Fin said, pulling a file from his desk as though it had been there all week. "Third call I made was to the phone company-" The first had been to try Elliot, no luck there, so the second call was to Cragen. "I got Olivia's call records."

Elliot looked at Fin in amazement, he seemed to have gathered all his information in the time it had taken Elliot to get from the cinema to the precinct; which felt painfully long as Elliot sat in the cab wondering all the terrible things that could be happening to Olivia.

"You got this quick." Elliot nodded.

"I just want her home." Fin said, and as he caught Elliot's eye, Elliot knew Fin too was being haunted by horrible images, more so as he had seen that basement.

xXx

Olivia listened intently, trying to gauge where the door was in relation to herself; but the darkness made it almost impossible. The clang of metal sounded near, and the approaching footsteps sounded even closer. In an instant, the room fill with light as long, industrial lights blinked on. Liv squinted against the light, almost blinded by the sudden brightness. Where she was being held was a small room; in 4 or 5 wide strides you could make it from one wall to the one opposite. It looked damp and grimy, it felt cold and it smelt musty. _'Great, another basement,'_ Liv thought humourlessly, uncertainty rising in her stomach.

Her eyes adjusted as she saw a figure coming towards her. Instinctually her heart raced; this person had attacked her, it was impulsive to get nervous when they came towards you again. She called out complaints, all being too muffled to make any sense.

The figure was unarmed, or as far as Olivia could tell. Before Olivia could even try and catch a glimpse of their half covered face, they stepped behind her and roughly grabbed her hair; yanking it and pulling her head back as far as they could. Olivia gasped against the tape as her neck ached, she didn't dare move; she was entirely vulnerable and she didn't want to risk angering someone who had already shown an indifference to violence.

Her scalp pinched uncomfortably as her hair was pulled tighter. The person pulled something silver from his pocket and Olivia panicked for a brief second that it was a knife and he was going to slit her knife. She cried out against the duct tape, but there was little she could do besides sit there, her body was immobilised by the wrappings of secure tape. As he lifted the object, she saw it was only a small metallic flashlight. She let out deep relieved sighs, as her heart still raced on ahead. Her attacker had pulled her hair as tightly as they could; Olivia could feel the occasional hair being pulled, stinging at her scalp. She frowned as they glared the flashlight in to her eyes. They shone the light in both eyes, and only when they were satisfied did they let go. They dropped her hair, not bothering with any other interaction, and walked away. She lifted her head, neck clicking slightly. Olivia frowned in confusion, but as they reached for the light switch she tried to argue again. They flicked out the light, closed the door and left her there.

She felt hopelessly alone, stuck by herself in the darkness. She refused to let out the sob in her chest; she was not going to be defeated.

xXx

**A/N As much as I hate to see Olivia hurting, it's fantastic to write lol Thanks for sticking with me, reviews would be great if you can. x Hope you liked it X**


	29. Chapter 29 It's Over

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N Big thanks to my reviewers DeLene, Mapleshade-Liv-Firestar, courtneylovejason, AMANDA, maerae93, Amanda4Meloni, spacekitten2700, 70s80sfanficluver and SteffieDawn. You guys are fantastic X Thank you to sweetxinnocencex3, Ceci-Vicsan, Kelsey311, Isabella Poulous and Amanda4Meloni for story alerts. Thanks to Kelsey311 for favourite story, Ceci-Vicsan for author alert. And thank you to Amanda4Meloni for favourite story, favourite author and author alert. Gold stars ^-^**

**So this is it, the massive chapter I've been working on. I apologise for the time since my last update but I wanted this to be really good, hope it doesn't disappoint. We finally get to see the bad guy, it'll be interesting to see what you guys think, especially after all your guesses. X**

Chapter 29- It's Over

Everything was passing in surreal stages of light and darkness as her captor came to feed her dry crackers, pour water down her throat and even try to tend to her wounds. They had cleaned her scuffed knuckles with antibacterial, even though it stung like a bitch. They cut away the unsaveable torn skin, painless as it had died and lost feeling, and then wrapped it in a freshly opened bandage. They had cleaned her forehead too, wiping away the dried blood and placing a sturdy bandaid on the offending cut. Olivia was surprised by their gentle touch and caring manner, but was not foolish enough to be taken in; she was not going to relate to her captors, if that was indeed what they were trying to make her do.

When she was alone in the dark everything seemed amplified; the dripping pipes were echoing, the silence was ringing in her ears and yet she could faintly hear footsteps moving around above her head. She heard footsteps getting closer. The door opened and the light flicked on. Olivia siezed the opportunity and looked quickly around. No window. Only one door, a wooden staircase behind it. An air vent; ventilation meant they were underground, definitely a basement. The figure kept their head down, not even looking at Olivia. They lifted a bottle of water; Olivia only drank from it when she saw them freshly open it in front of her, which they had every time. This time, instead of pulling her head back and forcing it down her throat with a splutter, they had a straw. Olivia hesitated again at their kindness but thirst won out.

"Who are you?" she asked as they made to leave. "What do you want?" They hesitated by the doorway. "Look, you haven't done anything that can't be forgotten." _'Lie.'_ "Untie me, let me go and I promise you won't get in to trouble." They hadn't moved, but now they switched off the light and ignored her.

xXx

Back at the station they were rushing between desks and pulling up relevant files. Elliot felt like they were on a wild goose chase, but he didn't care, so long as it led them to Olivia.

"Ok, number from Liv's cell is a prepaid cell phone." Fin called across the room.

"Can't trace it." Elliot felt his stomach fall.

"Not to a person-" Fin corrected.

"But to a location." Elliot finished excitedly. He pulled up a map of the cell towers in the area, only one call had came it at the time of Olivia's call. He send it to Fin's computer. "Run it." Elliot instructed, despite Fin already ahead of him.

Mere minutes later and the computer was beeping. A red circle was flashing on the screen. Elliot read the name above it in disbelief. "Mercy General? A patient? Can you narrow it down a bit more?"

Fin started typing across the screen.

"Since when did you get so good with computers anyway?" Elliot smirked.

Fin shrugged, not looking away from the screen. "Kids constantly trying to hack your online banking; you pick up a few things." The image on the screen seemed the zoom in on a schematic. "This doesn't make sense, says it's in the south west block, I thought that was just offices?"

"It is." Elliot nodded. "They work there."

Fin jumped up. "I'll head over there, look for security tapes, you-"

"Staff manifest, got it." Stabler dropped in to Fin's seat as he hurried out.

xXx

Olivia didn't know how long she had been there in the dark; it felt like forever. She really needed the bathroom, but she wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of knowing she needed something from them. The door opened once more and Olivia's eyes stung, too accustomed to the dark to handle the glaring light.

"What's going on? You've had me here for ages! If you're going to hurt me then just do it already!" Olivia cursed; knowing she shouldn't be so volatile towards her captor.

They flicked on the lights and the bulbs blinked in to life. Her captor had changed clothes. How long had she been here? Was it morning now? Or not? The heavy boots and combats were gone, as was the thick gloves and heavy coat. Olivia realised her captor was not a burly man she had anticipated, the clothes had only made them look that way. They were wearing black Converse hightops, dark jeans, a slogan tshirt and an illfitting hoodie.

"You're just a kid." Olivia said in confusion, taking in the teenage girl before her.

"I'm not a kid! I'm 18!" she argued. She pulled a large knife from the back of her waistband, lowering it to her side menacingly. The blade it self was black and yet alarmingly sharp. The handle was also black and heavy; Army issue Olivia recognised, Elliot had one similar from his Marine days. She must have gotten it from Swanson.

"So you're a teenager." Olivia corrected, suddenly less threatened by this girl and yet painfully aware of the large blade in her grip. The girl's head was down, not daring to look at Olivia. She had a mess of dark brown hair, unevenly cut but reaching her shoulders. "Did Swanson put you up to this?" Olivia tried.

The girl chuckled. "Max? Are you kidding? Max is only half your problems."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Max was following orders like a good little sheep." Olivia could see the girl's smirk, her lips evilly pulling up to one side.

"So you're the brains behind this." Olivia stated, sounding doubtful.

"What you don't believe me?" the girl demanded, raising the blade level with Olivia's chest, but still not looking up. "I've done things you wouldn't believe." she spat insistently.

"Ok, ok." Olivia rushed, aware of the sharp tip of the blade close in front of her. She gave it a moment of two for the girl to calm down, the knife still firmly extended. "So it was you who raped and murdered Martine Olivia?" Olivia asked, though this time managing to hide the doubt laced in her tone.

The girl was still for a moment and then defeatedly shook her head. "That was Max." she admitted. "He said we needed to scare you first. Said he found a woman on the computer at work and she was perfect." Olivia heard a snuffle. "He made me watch. While he hurt her. Then he said he had to leave and that I was to wait for you."

"He had to get back for his alibi." Olivia said in annoyance; smart but not smart enough.

"So you beat me with a rock and left me to die, then what?" Olivia said without thinking.

"Hey!" the girl reprimanded. "You don't think I would use this?" she threatened, pushing it against Liv's collarbone. But Olivia didn't respond, just raised her head away from the blade. The girl lowered the knife to her side again, and began agitatedly pacing.

Olivia observed her; either she was on something or she was just plain crazy, but something wasn't right.

"If I hadn't had other thing sto do I cuold have killed you right there. Just like I killed that other woman."

"April Benson."

The girl shrugged.

"Why are you telling me all this?" Olivia asked, criminals didn't usually divulge their whole plan to a police officer.

"You'll be dead by dawn anyway, I figured I may as well tell you the genius of our plan before you die." the girl smiled.

"No. I won't be dead. Because I don't think you wanted to hurt me." Olivia refuted; this girl was just a puppet.

"No! No! You lied! So you have to be punished! I went straight to your apartment after I left you in the park. I think I did a pretty good job, don't you think? What? You think you cops are the only ones who can ruin something good? I trashed your apartment like you trashed my brother's life!" she spat in venom.

"Brother?" Olivia was left reeling.

xXx

Elliot was searching the computer and had finally found a staff manifest for Mercy General. He pulled up the records for all staff supposed to be on duty for the time Olivia was called. His cell phone buzzed.

"Stabler."

"No security cameras; the timer was changed so they'd cut out." Fin said in his ear.

"But who-?"

"Any member of staff, they all have a key card that would get access to the security room."

Elliot huffed, time was slipping on and they were only marginally closer to finding Olivia. On phrase kept circulating in his head; '_The first 24 hours you're looking for a person, after that you're looking for a body.'_

"Ok, from the area the call came from there's only one cellphone area available. It's a closed ward so staff have to sign in and out."

"Tell me you-"

"I got the register." Fin said.

Elliot suddenly felt enthused, this was a huge step. His email beeped, and the file came through. God he could kiss Fin right now! He mentally kicked himself after that.

"Get your butt back here, Fin."

"Already in the car."

Elliot dropped his phone as the line went dead. He was skim reading the file, only 24 officials had registered as entering/leaving the ward. As he scrolled down, one surname jumped out at him. _'Harris. Can't be coincidence.'_ he decided. He frowned and flipped open Harris' personal file from Sealview. 'One sibling.' _'It can't be.'_

xXx

"What's your name?" Olivia demanded.

"Amanda Rochelle Harris." the girl sneered, overly confident and yet not daring to look higher than Olivia's chest. "Yeah, see? See? You think you're so smart. You think you can do anything you want!"

"You want to know what I really think?" Olivia interrupted, this pisspoor attempt at threatening was not intimidating Olivia, she'd taken down men taller than this girl with no back up; if only she weren't secured to this damn chair.

"Shut up! I don't care what you think!" Amanda yelled, becoming agitated again as she alternated from left to right foot, as though gearing herself up.

"I think-" Olivia continued. "-that you're just doing what your brother told you to do." Amanda froze, didn't even glance up. "You never wanted to hurt people, but he's your big brother right, and you have to do as he says?" Olivia efficiently guess. Amanda was breathing raggedly and Olivia could hear the tears building as Amanda tried to hold in her emotion. "You didn't want to hurt anybody, Amanda." she tried to confort in a soft tone. "Max was brutal, but when you attacked me and April Benson, you attacked from behind. It had nothing to do with subdueing them, did it? You just didn't want to see their eyes as they died. As you killed them. Because really, you didn't want to do it." Olivia could see the knife slowly lowering as Amanda became overwhelmed with the truth, sobs escaping occasionally. "I think you're just following his orders, and just because you're scare of him doesn't mean-"

"No!" Amanda insisted, knife back level with Olivia. "I'm not scared of anything."

"Amanda, you don't want to do this. You don't want to hurt me anymore than you wanted to hurt April."

"No, I _have_ to do this!" Amanda insisted, stepping closer with the knife, turning it so the blade was facing backwards in her grip. "You lied about my brother and now I have to do this!" Olivia eyed the blade as Amanda advanced.

xXx

Cragen was hurrying in to the squadroom.

"Where have you been?" Elliot unashamedly yells. Don decides to give him a break for once.

"Downtown, organising a SWAT team, ready to mobilise, as soon as we have a target. John's with them now, waiting instructions." Cragen says, chucking his coat unceremoniously in to his office.

"You are not going to believe this, Lowell Harris' sister!"

"What?"

"She works at the hospital where the call came from, yet she didn't show up for work today." Elliot says, placing several files in front of them. "I saw in Harris' file that child services got involved a long time ago. Absent father and his mother died when he was 21; his sister Amanda was 8. She got bounced around care homes until Harris gained custody, he's her only family."

"Elliot!" Fin called, rushing in. "The manifest, it's-!"

"Way ahead of you Fin." Elliot said, wasting no time with handing him the file.

"Custody? You kidding me, that guy's a creep!" Fin exclaimed.

"All those years alone with him, God knows what he did to her. Elliot find her address."

Elliot was already speed typing in to the computer. Cragen snatched up the photo of Amanda, much younger but still recogniseable. "This her? She was waiting for visitation the day Harris was returned to prison."

That seemed to settle it. "I got it!" Elliot called, frantically scribbling it down. He shoved it in to Cragen's hand for SWAT, he and Fin were already racing towards the elevator. _'I'm coming Liv,'_

xXx

"Why do you have to do this, Amanda? Because your brother told you to? Amanda, he's in prison, and he's going to be there a lot longer if you tell us what he made you do. He can't hurt you anymore."

Amanda finally looked up with a fierce look on her face, a deep frown and the almost identical eyes to her brother, tinted with fury. "What do you mean, hurt me? He never hurt me, he loves me!"

Olivia actually felt sorry for this poor girl. Harris had twisted her head in to his own little reality. Olivia should have known instantly; the agitation, the rollercoaster emotions, this girl was traumatised. She didn't look up because Harris would hit her if she did, saying she was looking at other men; Olivia had seen it before in domestic abuse cases.

"I'm sure that's what he told you..." Olivia said softly. "But I bet he never said it to all the other girls he attacked." Amanda was dissolving in to tears before Olivia's eyes, slowly crumbling under the truth. "He abused you Amanda. For a very long time. But if you just untie me, I can protect you from him, get you some help."

"NO!" Amanda cried, she refused to believe it; her 'loving' big brother was nothing but a monster who had destroyed her childhood.

"Amanda, think about it. You say he loves you, but when he touched you and did things to you, deep down inside you knew it was wrong, you knew it felt horrible and disgusting. But it was better to paly along that admit the truth right?" Olivia felt the clamminess of her skin and wondered if she could ease her hands from the tape, but they were stuck fast.

Amanda roughly rubbed her eyes, trying to regain composure. "No." she said firmly. "No, shut up, shut up, you're confusing me! I have to, I have to, I have to," she mumbled over and over to herself.

"No you don't Amanda. Think about this. I can help you, I can-" Olivia coaxed, Amanda was getting worked up and volatile.

"I killed a cop!" Amanda insisted. "Not even you can make that go away." She gripped the knife with both hands, to chest height, her eyes trained on Olivia's torso-her intended target. "Do it, do it, do it," she encouraged herself in hurried whispers.

Liv closed her eyes, only hearing Amanda's quiet ramblings, and yet only thinking of Elliot. Of the future they could have had together. If Amanda slashed down her stomach, it was fairly certain Olivia would never be able to have children. That's if she even lived. God, she prayed to see Elliot just one more time. She squeezed her eyes shut and braced for the pain that would literally rip through her body.

The door burst open and bright beams of light pierced the dim light. Olivia opened her eyes and immediately recognised the heavy armoured black uniforms; SWAT. "HOLD YOUR FIRE!" she screamed; as much as Amanda had done, she had been manipulated by Harris. Olivia could see in the corner of her eye that Amanda had dropped the knife and was frantically backing away in terror. "Don't hurt me, don't hurt me," she mumbled over and over, her eyes wide.

"Hold your fire!" Olivia said only final time as the officers came to a stand still. Amanda was balled up in the corner, her hands clutching at her head, as she frantically whispered apologises to what ever voices she was hearing.

Elliot came hurrying in behind the SWAT team, his vest in place and his gun aimed high. His attention was entirely on Olivia, while Fin headed to Amanda.

"Liv!" he yelled frantically, "El," was all she could say; she was so sure she was about to die. Perhaps God had heard her pray. Or perhaps Elliot was just always there for her. His heart was fluttering almost painfully. Deep down he had doubts; thought maybe they would never see her again, never hold her and kiss her and tell her he loved her. _'God, I need to tell her that more often.'_ He pulled his blade from his pocket, and began cutting through the tape securing her.

Amanda was screaming and flailing in fear at the men trying to grab at her. "Fin, be careful with her." Olivia called, knowing he was trying his best no to hurt her yet failing to detain her.

"Sorry about this." he muttered and then hit the side of her neck with his hand. She instantly went limp in his arms and slipped unconscious. "She'll be fine." he told Liv's look of disbelief, while he haphazardly slung Amanda over his shoulder and headed carefully back up the staircase.

The tape finally cut free and Olivia grasped at her sore, cut wrists. "Don't move." he said. She saw the tears pooled in his eyes, but didn't say anything; she merely kissed his forehead, the gesture alone somehow being more intimate than if she had grabbed him for a passionate kiss. With that kiss she had sealed their future; they were going to be ok.

They had put her on a gurney, she didn't mind though, just thankful to be lying down; sitting up had made her back painfully stiff. She smiled as they loaded her in to the ambulance. "What?" Elliot attentively asked, not having let go of her hand since he had got to her.

"Dawn." Olivia smiled, seeing the sun just beginning to rise. "And I'm not dead."

Elliot didn't even want to think about that. The last thing she saw was Fin, John and Cragen stood on the curb, before the doors were slammed shut and she was rushed to the hospital. She just wanted to go home, to tuck up in bed with Elliot, and sleep. His body flush with hers, her perfect safety to heal.

**A/N What do you think? I hope it worked out. If you are left confused lol feel free to message me. Reviews make me smile. Only one last chapter to go now and it'll be the end. XX**


	30. Chapter30Moving Past It,Looking Forward

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N I know, a very long wait since the last chapter. I had written this out but I was hesitant to post it. I wasn't sure if I like how I ended it or not but decided you guys had waited too long so I'm posting it, and I'll see what you guys think.**

**Thank you to SteffieDawn, maerae93, 70s80sfanficluver, Mapleshade-Liv-FireStar, Amanda4Meloni, courtneylovejason and spacekitten2700 for your fantastic review X Also thank you to Megjoshy9876 for your author alert and story alert. And also (can't believe I'm saying this XD) It'sJustADream for your author alert. ;)**

Chapter 30- Moving Past It, Looking Forward

The trip to the hospital had been uncomfortable; they sped across bumps, bouncing her rigid spine against the hard gurney. Elliot had been lovingly attentive, giving her an extra pillow and blankets, continually asking her if she was ok.

The doctors at the hospital were immediately at her side when the ambulance arrived. They had removed the bandage Amanda had applied and put on a fresh one, again, stinging her skin with anti-bacterial. They removed the bandaid from her forehead and found it needed a stitch or two; though thankfully there was no sign of concussion. They had x-rayed her ribs to find they were not broken or fractured. She had a miniture hairline tear in one of her intercostal muscles; the muscles that push and pull your ribs when breathing in and out. There was little they could do; only time could heal it. For now they had applied a stiff gauze to support her rib muscles and told her to take it easy. She politely agreed, for Elliot's sake at least, but she knew what she needed to do.

Olivia made her way to the prison alone; against Elliot's insistance. As soon as the doctors had deemed her fit she had told Elliot of her plan. He had wanted to yell and refuse to let her go, or go with her. But it would have been pointless. He had helped her in to the car, needlessly as she insisted she was perfectly capable, and watched her drive off. She had stayed silent the whole drive, trying to prepare herself. Which ultimately led to her sitting outside in the car, staring up at the prison. She finally braced herself and headed inside. She begrudgingly handed over her weapon at the mental detectors, and actually breathed a sigh of relief when a female guard stepped up for the pat-down. Especially as the gruff, burly officer on watch was leering at her beforehand. Just before she headed in to the room she asked for some privacy and the officers reluctantly agreed, if only for professional curtesy. She stepped inside and there he was.

Lowell Harris was sitting behinf a table opposite her, his head down but she could see his smug sneer. When he finally looked up, as she merely stood by the door, she saw the transition of expressions flashing across his face; shock, confusion, disbelief and then finally anger and fury burning in his eyes.

"What?" Olivia asked. "Were you expecting my partner to be here? Telling you I was dead and that he was going to rip your lungs out?" she asked, playing dumb. Harris' eyes burned holes in hers, his rageplain to see. Olivia shrugged. "Sorry, just me."

He didn't say anything. "We know what you did, Harris; we know everything."

"You don't know anything." he spat and she noticed her cuffs, yet lack of chain attaching them to the table. She ignored it; swallowing her fear. _'I can do this.'_

"Oh, no, we know a lot." she countered, striding closer to him, stopping just before the small table. "See, your buddy Swanson?" she smiled internally as she saw a flash of recognition in his eyes. "He told us everything; the off-the-record visitations, the planning and what to do, all your ideas by the way, but you know that."

"You're lying." She could see his resolve crumbling and it gave her an odd sense of satisfaction.

"You wish that were true. Because Swanson became very chatty and gave up everything he knew; after we took the death penalty off the table anyway." she shrugged. Harris looked up in anger. "Oh, don't worry, he'll rot in jail. Just like you. Maybe you can get a cell together." she smirked. "Give you two some privacy." she teased, hitting a nerve.

"You shut your mouth." he said, spitting venom.

"Oh no, I'm not shutting up because I still have a lot to say. You remember Amanda don't you? Your little sister, Amanda? Of course you do; you raped her enough times." Olivia said, her stomach curling with bile, knowing what the young girl had been through.

Harris smirked. "Never happened." he instinctually denied.

"Yes it did." Olivia insisted; she had read Amanda's statements, saw the details only a victim would know. "Did you abuse her before your parents died too? Or were you too scared your father would find out?" she taunted.

"I never touched her." he insisted. Olivia saw his trembling fists, knuckles white as she closed him in with the truth.

"Are you sure you want to stick to that story?" Olivia questioned. "Becaue I've seen the photographs of Amanda's scars, the external and the internal ones; they speak for themselves. And I'm sure somewhere in that filthy house of yours we're going to find degraded DNA that we can use against you."

She could see the anxiety in his eyes but he hit it well. "It doesn't matter," he shrugged. "I'm already in jail, do your worst." he dared.

"Oh I will." Liv nodded. "But we both know there's a big difference between 'jail' and 'life imprisonment without chance of parole'." She knew he was panicking, small beads of sweat running down his neck, even though he was sitting 'perfectly calm'; his charade didn't fool her.

"If I'm in jail, then that lying bitch is sure as Hell going too!" he remarked. "Send the slut to Sealview, they can treat her like the whore she is." he said dismissively about his younger sister with incredible disrespect.

Olivia smirked. "Oh, she's not going to Sealview. In fact, if I get my way- and I will- Amanda will never see the inside of a jail cell." She saw his brow noticibly deepen and his anger beginning to bubble in his eyes, his face growing red. "I'm arranging for Amanda to go to a live-in hospital upstate."

"A psych ward." he scoffed. "You're sending her to an asylum." he laughed.

"No, it's a hospital; no straight jackets, no cold showers or padded rooms, no electrodes to her head." she remarked, seeing him getting annoyed. "She gets her own room, with her own bed, where you can't crawl in to them every night." Olivia spat in disgust. "Who knows, maybe she'll get her own TV in time," Olivia taunted.

"That bitch killed those women!" Harris argued, the vein in his forehead throbbing in beat with his pulse.

"That 'bitch' is your little sister. You used her, manipulated her and abused her. You did things to her before she was even old enough to understand what it meant." Olivia said in upmost disgust, leaning across the table at him.

"That bitch belongs in jail!" he yelled.

"No, you belong in jail." she countered. "God, for once in your life, be a man and take some responsibility for what you've done." she said exasperatedly.

"I'll show you how I'm a man!" His rage exploded as his cuffed hands grabbed her and slammed her against the wall. She winced as his strong fingers pressed against the torn muscles in her ribs. Her back collided with the unyielding stone. She thought she would freeze but she didn't. She punched him in the gut with as much force as she could as he tried to kiss her neck. He groaned and grabbed her upper arms, she was thrown to the floor, sending his chair clattering away. She turned to see him approaching in fury. She scrambled back to her feet as he threw a punch, using his weight against him, she countered and twisted his arm behind his back. He gave a throaty wince of pain as she pinned him against the table.

She felt her leg go from under her as he tangled his foot in hers and pulled. She lost her grip and footing and toppled to the floor. He was on her in a second, his hands gripping at her throat, his thumb pressing roughly down on her windpipe. She gasped, scratching at his hands. She wasn't afraid, it was strange but she wouldn't allow herself to fear him. She reached down awkwardly to her boot and pulled out her blade; did you really think she'd go in completely unarmed? His hand grabbed her wrist as he saw it, trying to twist it away. She pushed against him, adrenaline pumping through her despite the lack of oxygen. Slowly but surely the blade grew closer and closer to his skin until finally- the sharp blade slashed at his cheek, opening up the old wound from Sealview. He cried out in pain, hid hands releasing her to cup his face, panicked by the blood he saw covering his hands.

Arms came down, helping her up; while roughly dragging him to his feet.

"Detective, are you ok?" came a voice; the female guard.

"Yes, I'm fine." she replied, as her coughing subsided. She ignored the look she got when the guard saw her blade. Harris hadn't done any long term damage; he was just another perp.

She swung out her fist with as much force as she could muster. It collided stingingly with his fresh wound. He may have overpowered her once or twice, that's what they were both trained to do, but she wanted the last hit.

"Detective!" the officers scolded, trying to restrain Harris. She noticed how pathetic he looked, all rage and fire, and yet completely detained by his wardens.

She gave him one last look. "Oh by the way, my DA wants to know, if we do go for the death penalty, do you want the chair or the needle?" she bluffed. She watched him thrash for only a second before she left; putting him behind her. She knew she wasn't healed, but she was getting there. And as she left the prison she drove home with a smile. Besides, with Harris behind her she had only one thing to look forward to, her future with Elliot. And she couldn't wait.

**A/N Did you guys like it? I'm happy with the scene but I'm not sure if it answers all the questions you guys might have. I've started an epilogue for when Olivia goes home, I can't promise it will be smutty because I've never been entirely confortable with writing it, but it will be EO in some way. Also, I have to admit, Olivia's line about 'rip your lungs out' was inspired by an awesome character from another show, don't know if you picked up on it ir not x**


	31. Chapter 31

From Hell To Heaven

**A/N Review thank yous to Livangel16, DeLene, courtneylovejason, Jennifer Catlin DiNozzo, spacekitten2700, Amanda4Meloni and SteffieDawn. You guys have been fantastic. Also, thank you to Livangel16 for your story alert and raes for adding to favourite author..**

**Ok, I have to mention it, I got a review from 'ND' and it made me laugh for so long I even showed my friend. "**ND:OMFG You guys are idiots. Elliot is with his soulmate KATHY! He has and  
>always will love her. He has never felt anything other than friendship for Liv. While separated he always thought of Kathy and the kids, never Liv. He even went on a date and all he talked about was Kathy, making the girl he dated say, "I knew you would get back with your wife." so get over it and move on.<strong>" First of all, I'm not sure you're aware that fanfiction is just that, fiction! As writers, everyone on this site has the right to watch and interpret the shows as they feel. It's not like we're writing for the show, fics are just a way of expressing your ideas. XD <strong>

**Anyway, here it is, the final chapter! :') It seems strange to be bringing it to a close, especially as it's the first story I ever posted. Of course, it's Liv returning home, because we couldn't let Harris have the last say lol. I hope you like it.**

Epilogue

Olivia got home with a feeling of dread; she knew Elliot was going to be mad, he hadn't even liked the idea of her going in the first place, let alone coming back with bruises. She'd sat looking in the rearview mirror for a moment or two, inspecting the markings; they'd fade soon, but not soon enough; Elliot would see them a mile off.

She opened the front door and immediately heard movements in the bedroom; Elliot came from the hallway.

"Hey, Liv, how'd it- Christ, what happened?" He was by her side, his fingers gently grazing her bruises.

"I got in to a bit of a fight." she shrugged, removing herself from his touch with a casual lean back.

"With who?" he demanded.

"Harris." She saw his expression change. "Elliot, don't worry; I took care of myself." She handed him the bloody blade and side stepped him to hang up her coat. He dumped it in the sink, running the tap and then dousing it in copious amounts of straight bleach.

"He dead?" he asked, sounding almost half hopeful, or cautious of what her answer could be. She was home, so that was a good sign.

"And deny him years to rot in jail? Hello no." she said, pouring herself some orange juice.

Elliot didn't like how blaise she was being. "Liv, did he hurt you?"

"Of course he did, he threw me around." she said, sipping her juice, avoiding his eyes.

"Yeah, but are you ok?"

"Probably going to get a reprimand from Cragen in the morning but apart from that." she shrugged; she saw the expression he pulled. She knew what he was asking; she had just confronted and fought her attacker for the third time, he wanted to know if her head was in the right place.

"I'm going to be fine, Elliot." she nodded.

He looked apeased and went back to her bruises. "Damn Liv, why'd you have to go there?" he asked rhetorically under his breath.

"It all started with him Elliot, it had to end with him." He merely nodded in responce.

"Come on," he said, guiding her drink down. "Let's run a bath; help you relax." A hot bath encasing her aching muscles seemed like Heaven.

xXx

A few minutes later they were in the tub. Olivia had never shared a bth before, and it was different to a shower; more romantic and personal, bodies pressed impossibly close together. The hot water was a God sent and as she lay with Elliot, her back to his chest, she let out a deep sigh, feeling relieved after the day she'd had. Elliot was gently kneading her muscles; his fingers resting against her slender collarbones and the pads of his thumbs working against the sensitive skin where the middle of her shoulder met the base of her neck. They were in a comfortable silence, the only sound was the water when they occasionally moved and their breathing in unison.

"You know I love you, right?" His tone sounded unsure, uncharacteristic for him.

"Of course I know." she smiled. "I think I knew even before you did."

He chuckled along; in the beginning, many years ago when they still had a purely professional friendship (if that were ever possible), he would occasionally catch himself thinking about Olivia. In truth, he had sort of stumbled on to his feelings for her and then found it difficult to hide them for so long; obviously Liv had noticed this years before him.

"I mean it Liv, you're so special to me." She didn't recognise the tone to his voice and looked round in concern. She saw the moisture in his eyes, even as he tried to look away.

"El, what's wrong?" She rarely saw him like this.

"I'm just glad you're ok." he said, with a shrug, which she saw was forced. "You know, with everything that's happened, I guess it's a miracle that I still got you." She knew what he was saying, even if he couldn't say it; he thought he had lost her.

"You'll always have me, El. i'm not going anywhere." He nodded along, felt his hands close protectively around her. She rested her head against his chest, the water lapping around her shoulders. "I love you, El. I always will." she mumbled, snuggling against him.

xXx

When they were done and draining the tub, Olivia realised she had nothing to change in to; she could make a dash to the bedroom but Elliot's expansive windows meant the whole opposite building could see her. Elliot had already slid on his fresh shorts and pants, and noticed her predicament.

"I can help with that." Elliot smiled. He plucked something from the cupboard. olivia cocked an eyebrow when he revealed a pink bad with the brand name on the front in swirly lettering.

"I was just going to leave it there and let you find it but-" he trailed off with a shrug as she looked inside. She gasped and lifted it out excitedly.

"El, this is," she gently felt the soft silk of her short dressing gown as he smiled, watching her expression. _'He is so perfect.'_

"You like it then? i wasn't sure on the colour." he added. The material was a deep blue, her favourite; she had never been much of a 'girly-girl' so pink was a definite no-no.

"It's beautiful." she smiled, slipping her arms in and loosely around her waist. "What do you think?" she absently asked, inspecting herself.

"You look great." he mused, happy to see her smile. "You're so beautiful; you don't even see how perfect you are."

"You should see me in the morning," she joked. "No makeup, hair's a mess," she teased.

"I have seen you in the mornings, you look incredible." he said, standing behind in the mirror, his arms on her hips.

They looked perfect together, it was like looking at a photograph as they caught each other's eyes in the reflection. She smirked as he gently kissed her neck, careful of the tender markings. She faltered for only a second as Harris flashed in her thoughts, the bruises serving as a reminder. He felt her tremble as it ran through her. He moved to kiss the sensitive skin behind her ear.

"It's all in the past, Liv." he said in a husky tone, making her feel like she was melting. She nodded. _'i won't let anything hurt you. Never again.'_

He looked at her questioningly as she opened her robe, but she merely peeled the sodden gauze from her ribs. He looked disapproving as she disgarded it in the trash, but she needed to feel free of everything Amanda and Harris had done. Once she was free of bandages and tied her gown back up she looked defeatedly in to the mirror.

"I look a right sight." she sighed, looking at her scattering of bruises , scabbed knuckles and wet hair.

"No." Elliot said, shaking his head. "You're still my princess." he said in her ear. It sounded silly and ridiculously cliche, but she knew he meant it. She giggled in response, feeling foolishly like a lovesick teenger. "Come on, there's something I want you to see." He took her hand and led her from the bathroom. As they approached the bedroom she smiled. But was left in awe when he opened the door. The bedroom was completely changed.

"Elliot, you did all this?" she asked in amazement.

"Well, you were gone all day; I had to do something with my time." _'Besides going crazy with worry.'_

She stepped inside and gazed around. His voice was suddenly serious. "I want you to feel appreciated Liv. This is your home too now, and I want you to feel like you belong, because you do." _'I'll do everything I can to make you happy.'_ he added cheesily, unsure to say it aloud.

The blue colour scheme was gone, replaced with reds and golds. The simple curtains were now long and shimmering, delicatesequin designs reflecting the light. the aged, bulky bed was replaced with a new frame; a high headboard, with ornate metal delicately curving in spirals, golden butterflies adorning the very centers.

Liv smirked and clasped her hand over her mouth. "You don't mind sleeping in such a girly room?"

"No, not for you." he smiled. "And I'm having the carpet changed next week."

She smiled, overwhelmed by it all. He had replaced the shaving equipment on the chester drawers with a patterned cover, a crystal vase filled with glass beads and flowers. He knew it wasn't much, but it was a step in the right direction. He watched her eyes scan the room, finally landing on her bedside table, where he had added a framed photograph of her mother, their favourite photograph together and a small gift box. She looked up at him with a mixed expression. He took her handand led her across the room. He settled her on the edge of the bed, knelt down before her and picked up the small box. He saw the panic and shock in her eyes as she covered her mouth and he took her hand, her eyes wide.

_'Ohmygodohmygodohmygod'_ her thoughtd raced, her heart pounding to keep up.

"Liv, I know this is probably toon soon, and you're not ready and you don't want to rush things,"

"El-"

"No, please let me finish." She nodded, looking anxiously between his beautiful eyes and the velvet box. "I know this is scaring the hell out of you, and I'm sorry for springing it on you after the day you've had. But I-" he paused, he was never very good when it came to expressing his emotions. He felt her hand on his shoulder; she could always read him like a book. "When you were gone, when they'd taken you, I realised just how important you are. I mean, I always knew, I just wasn't sure you knew." he fumbled, mentally kicking himself for getting flustered.

"I know, El." she said, gently touching his cheek with a look that melted his heart.

"Liv, I can't imagine my life without you in it, I just can't. Not being able to see you everyday, or come home to you, or wake up beside you, it would kill me." She saw the sincerity in his eyes and squeezed his hand. "I'm ready to spend the rest of my life with you, Liv. To be your husband and everything that comes with it. I don't care if you want 1 baby or 100, I'd give you that, Liv. Even if it meant 18 years down the line we end up with a stroppy daughter who insists on dating a motorcycle punk." They chuckled, a deep rumble in his chest making her stomach knot deliciously as moisture beaded in her eyes.

He opened the box to reveal her ring. She couldn't help but gasp when she saw it. It was a delicate silver band that seemed to rope around like ivy. The stones themselves were gorgeous, a big one in the middle, framed in a cascading effect by a series of smaller ones; all of them twinkling like stars. "Elliot that must have cost a fortune." she half scolded.

"You're worth it, Liv." Her lipspuckered slightly in a blushing smile. He lifted the ring out, revealing it attached to a long, thin, equally beautiful chain.

"I know you're feeling overwhelmed." Liv scoffed at the understatement. "But I don't mind waiting Liv. This is a promise, that when you are ready to put this ring on and take the next step, then all you have to do is say so." She looked anxious; she wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her life with Elliot, but suddenly being faced with a life long committment was daunting. He reached up with the chain; she ducked her head, allowing him to place it gently around her neck. The ring settled just below her bust. She turned it over between her fingers a few times before looking up at him. He looked so vulnerable kneeling in front of her, so happy and yet so scared of being rejected. She leaned in to him, placing her lips against his and felt him relax in to it. She guided him up off his knee, knowing it must be killing him by now.

She pulled him on top of her and hungrily pulled him impossibly closer. He responded amoursly, his hot hands seeming to be everywhere at once. Their clothes were quickly stripped away and soon the only thing against between their naked bodies, amongst the soft caress of the silky sheets, was the ring. It pressed against her skin as well as his, a delicious reminder of their love as he shifted his weight above her. He showered her in gently nipping kisses before their two bodies finally became one.

xXx

Olivia's eyes slowly opened to the darkness and it took her a moment in her new surroudings to rememebr where she was. Before she got anxious, as though reading her mind, Elliot's arms fell around her in his sleep. She gave a soft moan at the warmth, before gently shifting to sit up. She eased her legs from under the covers, careful not to disturb Elliot. She could hear rain hitting the window, and as a clap of thunder exploded in light, she realised what must have woken her. As she placed her feet down she felt something smooth, not the sturdy carpet. She pulled her robe from the floor; despite its sentimental value it had been haphazardly disgarded in their urgency hours before. She dusted it off and slid it on.

She padded from the bedroom across to the kitchen for a glass of water. she spied the knife in the sink, could smell the bleach burnng in her nose. She gave a sigh and turned her back on it. She settled by the window, wrapping the throw blanket, from the back of the couch, around her. She sipped her drink, soothing her dry mouth, but her eyes gazed out the window.

She turned the ring over and over in her fingers, feeling very conscious of it against her skin. She wanted nothing more than to be with Elliot, so why was this so difficult? Why did the innocent piece of jewellery scare her so much? It's just a ring, but the committment it represents is daunting. _'The rest of my life is a long time.'_ she thought, trying to think how she felt about that. _'Elliot's committed, he's proved that. So why can't I?'_ she wondered pleadingly.

Every relaitonship she'd been in had had its faults; all relationships did, right? It had either ended with the guys running from committment, or she did. She wanted nothing more than a family, and Elliot could give her that. _'He's already said he wants at least one baby. That's enough, right? Hell, it's more than I've ever had.'_ she sighed, setting her drink on the table and removing the chained ring to inspect it.

_'We fit so perfectly together.'_ she smiled; even when they fought they always fixed it. And it was true, they were perfect together, they complimented each other beautifully, even their opposites were somehow matched. His heavy boots beside her favourite heels. His strong black coffee in the morning while she sipped her orange juice. Even his heavy duty toothpaste laying alongside her delicate dental floss.

She smirked, pulling her knees up to her chest, thinking of them sweetly. _'His hair has always been receeding, like Bruce Willis,'_ she smirked. _'But then again I have enough hair for us both.'_ she chuckled softly. They were meant to be, and now she was realising it.

His strong hands wrapped around her smooth hands. His broad, sturdy chest and arms encasing her curvaceous frame. Even his sometimes rough stubble grazing against her soft skin. He would do anything, give anything, for her and he wasn't going anywhere. She couldn't lose that to fear of committment.

She unhooked the chain, disgarding it on the table and allowing the ring- her ring- to fall in to her palm. She slipped it on her slender finger, holding her left hand up admiringly. She smiled beautifully as she padded back to the bedroom quietly, dropped her robe and slid in to the deliciously warm arms of her boyf-no, her fiance.

She snuggled closer, placing a kiss on his scorchingly hot chest. His arms unconsciously tightened around her, pulling her close. She could catch his intoxicating scent, mixed with the light aroma coming from her flowers beside their bed. She couldn't stop her smile as she thought of the ring on her finger, what her dress might look like, and if their children would have Elliot's blue eyes, her lucious brown locks.

In little over a week her life had gone from Hell to Heaven; her nightmares were behind her and now all she had to do was get anything she ever wanted. And she'll start with the expression on Elliot's face in the morning when he spies her hand.

**A/N Like it? Reviews would make me so happy for my final chapter x As for my regulars, you know who you are ;) You guys kept me motivated and confident, even though I was very conscious of what people might think. A massive thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, added alerts, and most importantly, followed the story through to the end. Love, Kirsty XX**


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